NFL replay VP explains ruling on Seahawks’ final offensive play

SEATTLE – The Seattle Seahawks’ hopes of a late comeback ended with a razor-tight out-of-bounds call in the final minute of their 32-29 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

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Facing fourth-and-10 from midfield with 54 seconds left, Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught a pass near the sideline, slipped out of a potential tackle and dived toward the first-down marker while being knocked out of bounds by safety Malik Mustapha.

As Kupp left his feet and reached for the first-down line, he extended the ball past the marker. However, it’s unclear if the ball was past the first-down line before the ball crossed the vertical plane extending up from the sideline.

Referee Land Clark ruled Kupp just short of the first-down line, and the call was upheld after replay review. San Francisco then took two kneel-downs to run out the clock.

Cooper Kupp is short and the @49ers take over!

@SFvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/k9426I2gFe

— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

After the game, NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth explained the ruling via pool reporter Brady Henderson of ESPN.

“With all of our available angles, including our boundary line cameras, there was no video evidence to overturn the call on the field,” Butterworth said. “A key thing to remember is we are looking at when the ball breaks from green, the field of play, to white, out of bounds. There was nothing clear and obvious to overturn the call on the field.”

Butterworth clarified that the rules are different for goal-line situations.

“The line to gain we treat differently than the goal line,” Butterworth said. “The runner gets goal-line extended with a body part in the end zone. For the line to gain, we are looking at where the ball breaks from green to white.”

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