Arizona Rattlers react as controversial officiating call stands in IFL playoff game

The call came when San Diego’s Nate Davis scored the game-winning touchdown with no time remaining, with the Rattlers’ head coach Kevin Guy believing it shouldn’t have counted. A flag was thrown and Guy believed San Diego was going to be penalized for having three players in motion and not set before the play.

However, after 15 minutes of deliberation from the referees, no penalty was given and San Diego eliminated the Rattlers from the IFL Playoffs.

Despite Guy’s commentary on the situation after the game and the filed protest, the IFL released a statement on Tuesday upholding the call.

“The IFL’s current protest procedures do not provide a defined resolution for claims involving judgment calls,” the IFL said. “In alignment with the practices of other professional sports leagues… the league will acknowledge the error but will not overturn the outcome of the game.”

Arizona released a statement on Wednesday morning in response to the IFL’s decision on the matter.

“The Arizona Rattlers, as an organization, accept the ruling by the IFL,” the team said in a press release. “But, stress that it will come with consequences for the error by the officials and the manner in which the matter has been handled.”

It’s unclear whether a precedent has been set after this game and what consequences the team is referring to, especially since reviews weren’t available to the fans to see the play during the game as usual.

While the Rattlers have accepted the IFL’s ruling, the controversy leaves lingering questions about officiating standards and the league’s commitment to transparency.