Here’s why this play in the Arkansas-Virginia Tech game took nearly 12 minutes to review

In this year’s Belk Bowl between Arkansas and Virginia Tech, there was a play late in the second quarter that had just about everyone confused. Arkansas punted on fourth down, and Virginia Tech muffed the punt recovery.

An Arkansas player landed on it but didn’t retain possession, and a Virginia Tech player proceeded to pick it up. Somewhere in there, a whistle blew. When the Hogs ended up with the ball, many assumed it was because of that whistle.

But there was one problem — Virginia Tech was called for holding on the punt. That ended up being the deciding factor, though most of the discussion focused on when the whistle blew.

When the officials finally came out from their 12-minute review, the official said there had been an inadvertent whistle and a penalty during the kick. The latter matters more than the former.

“By rule,” the official stated, the penalty was assessed from the spot of the kick and it was still Arkansas’ ball.

Here’s Fox Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira on the referee’s call.

But here’s what mattered most:

Rule 4 governs live- and dead-ball situations. We’re interested in Article 2(b)(3), and Article 2(c).

There was an inadvertent whistle during the down. It was during “a free or scrimmage kick.” (Punts are scrimmage kicks.) BY RULE, “the ball is returned to the previous spot and the down [is] repeated.”

Now we go to Art. 2(c). A “foul or violation occur[red] during” an “above down.” The ball is returned to the previous spot, and the ten-yard penalty is “administered as in any other play.”

Arkansas ball at its 29. First down Hogs.

And—somehow—the official rule interpretations actually contemplate this exact scenario.

Team A here is (serendipitously) Arkansas. Team B is Tech. Arkansas kicks, Tech commits penalty during kick, then Tech muffs kick. While the ball is loose, inadvertent whistle is sounded. Arkansas ball.

Arkansas recovered the ball and it didn’t give the Razorbacks any extra points, but given that this review took nearly 12 minutes in real time, it certainly was a confusing chain of events.