NFL side judge Rob Vernatchi, who was responsible for an 18-second runoff clock error against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football, has been suspended for Week 6.
This news was reported by NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, and the official suspension report reads as follows:
“Side judge Rob Vernatchi will not officiate in Week 6 as a result of the failure to notice that the game clock was incorrectly started late in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers.”
Officially, the game time is kept track of on the stadium scoreboard, however it is the job of the side judge to supervise the running of that clock during a game.
The fate of the stadium clock operator at the stadium, who is an NFL employee, is still under review. The San Diego Chargers play their next game at home on October 25.
This is obviously part of a larger matter, and officiators are rarely suspended for such mistakes. According to reports, the last official suspended was Roy Ellison in 2013 for actions relating to his language on the field.
During Week 4 an officiator didn’t catch an illegal batted ball in the end zone that had a huge part in deciding the contest between the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks. That game official caught heat big time by Detroit fans after that error.
In the Pittsburgh game, fortunately a last-second touchdown attempt by Le’Veon Bell was successful. Had he been stuffed, and if the Steelers hadn’t scored, then that 18 seconds of lost time could have stripped the Steelers of their last chance to win.
Making officials more accountable for their actions especially when it comes to a game-changing calls should become common practice in such a suspension-happy NFL.