Carroll: Refs to use hand signal for ineligible receiver




Carroll said the referees in the Super Bowl will have hand signals to clarify players’ eligibility. A normally eligible receiver reporting ineligible will be identified by being pointed at and the referee waving his arms in front of his legs like for an incomplete pass.

”I know the league is absolutely committed to getting that right and doing that well,” Carroll said. ”The Patriots have brought that to the forefront because they’ve been using some stuff like that lately. We’ve been preparing for it every day because we don’t want to be caught in mishandling on our end.

”It’s really on us to see it. The officials do what they do but we still have to find it because it could happen like it did to the Colts. We’re very much in tune with it. It’s just been part of the preparation so it’s not a big deal to us now. ”


Carroll also said the referees made a mistake in the AFC championship game, when a player reported in as a different status. The player remained in the game for the next play, his eligibility was unclear, and the Patriots scored a touchdown.

He didn’t specify, but Patriots lineman Nate Solder, caught a touchdown pass against the Colts.

”The Colts got fooled on that play, on the next player reporting eligible it was a different player so it got confusing and they miss-covered the guy,” Carroll said. ”We don’t want that to happen if we can help it, so we called in and asked about that.”

AP NFL website: and