NFL official Rob Vernatchi has reportedly been suspended one week with pay after allowing :18 seconds to run off the clock during the 4th quarter of Monday night’s Steelers-Charges game. A game that the Steelers would win on a play which maybe shouldn’t have been the last play of the game.
The NFL admitted the error and issued this statement:
Because of an error by the clock operator, the game clock was incorrectly started before the Steelers first play from scrimmage following the touchback. That first down snap came with 2:38 left to play instead of 2:56, a difference of 18 seconds. The official game time is kept on the stadium scoreboard, but it is the responsibility of the side judge to supervise the timing of the game. Had the side judge or any of the other six on-field officials noticed the timing error, they could have corrected it.
Many fans would agree that they would like to see referees receive proper discipline for missing significant calls that may decide games, but one week suspension WITH pay sounds more like a vacation.
