SEC admits officiating error let Tennessee use illegal onside kick vs. Texas
NBC Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- The SEC admitted an officiating error in Tennessee’s near-comeback loss to No. 1 Texas, acknowledging that Tennessee’s recovered onside kick should have been called back due to a rules violation.
- Tennessee’s kicker illegally drop kicked the ball from behind the restraining line, violating the rule that requires free kicks to be made from the kicking team’s restraining line, resulting in a missed five-yard penalty and replay of the down.
- The SEC explained that the kicker also violated the rule by changing his lateral position between the hash marks after the ready signal, further justifying the penalty.
- Despite the error, Texas’s defense stopped Tennessee after the onside kick, securing a 20-17 victory and preventing the officiating mistake from becoming a larger controversy.
- The SEC expressed regret for the error and committed to working with NCAA officials to ensure consistent enforcement of free-kick rules in the future.
