He and his crew are the same ones who were at the center of the controversial "eligible receiver" call in the Cowboys-Lions game a couple of seasons ago, so they are no strangers to high-stakes technical rulings.
Here is the exact wording of the rules that created this "loophole." It essentially came down to the referees choosing the definition in Rule 8, Section 7, Article 1 (Backward Pass) over the definition in Article 6 (The Holy Roller Rule).
"A runner may throw a backward pass at any time. Players of either team may advance after catching a backward pass, or recovering a backward pass after it touches the ground."
Why this mattered: Unlike a fumble, the rulebook does not place any restrictions on who can recover or advance a backward pass, regardless of the clock or the situation (like a 2-point try).
"If a fumble by either team occurs after the two-minute warning or during a Try:
The ball may be advanced by any opponent.
The player who fumbled is the only player of his team who is permitted to recover and advance the ball.
If the recovery or catch is by a teammate of the player who fumbled, the ball is dead, and the spot of the next snap is the spot of the fumble..."
The Catch: This restriction only applies to a "fumble." The NFL defines a fumble as "any act, other than a pass or kick, which results in a loss of player possession." By ruling Sam Darnold's lateral was a "pass," Brad Allen's crew made Article 6 completely irrelevant.
"When an on-field ruling is incomplete [pass], and the pass was clearly backward, the ruling of incomplete will stand if there is no clear recovery in the immediate continuing action. If there is a clear recovery, the ball will be awarded to the recovering team."
The Call: Brad Allen initially blew the whistle and signaled "Incomplete Pass."
The Replay: New York saw the ball traveled slightly backward ( or instead of forward).
The Result: Because it was a pass (backward) and not a fumble, Zach Charbonnet was allowed to "advance" it into the end zone even though he wasn't the one who threw it.
The Whistle: Because Charbonnet picked it up immediately after the whistle, the "clear recovery" rule allowed them to ignore the fact that the play had technically been blown dead.
As Sean McVay said after the game, the Rams "played to the whistle," but the rules allowed the Seahawks to play past it.
From Gemini:
The head referee for that game was Brad Allen.
He and his crew are the same ones who were at the center of the controversial "eligible receiver" call in the Cowboys-Lions game a couple of seasons ago, so they are no strangers to high-stakes technical rulings.
Here is the exact wording of the rules that created this "loophole." It essentially came down to the referees choosing the definition in Rule 8, Section 7, Article 1 (Backward Pass) over the definition in Article 6 (The Holy Roller Rule).
1. The "Loophole" (Backward Pass)1. The "Loophole" (Backward Pass)
Rule 8, Section 7, Article 1
Why this mattered: Unlike a fumble, the rulebook does not place any restrictions on who can recover or advance a backward pass, regardless of the clock or the situation (like a 2-point try).
2. The Rule the Rams Wanted (The "Holy Roller")2. The Rule the Rams Wanted (The "Holy Roller")
Rule 8, Section 7, Article 6
The Catch: This restriction only applies to a "fumble." The NFL defines a fumble as "any act, other than a pass or kick, which results in a loss of player possession." By ruling Sam Darnold's lateral was a "pass," Brad Allen's crew made Article 6 completely irrelevant.
3. The "Premature Whistle" Rule3. The "Premature Whistle" Rule
Rule 15, Section 3, Article 11, Item 1
The Final "Mess" LogicThe Final "Mess" Logic
As Sean McVay said after the game, the Rams "played to the whistle," but the rules allowed the Seahawks to play past it.