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So-called 'worst rule in football' is in the headlines again after Bills-Chiefs

Justin Jefferson fell foul of the end zone fumble rule during the Vikings' regular season.

Adam Uren

So-called 'worst rule in football' is in the headlines again after Bills-Chiefs
So-called 'worst rule in football' is in the headlines again after Bills-Chiefs /

The fumble rule dubbed "the worst in football" is once again in the headlines after Sunday night's playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.

During the 4th quarter, Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman fumbled the ball as he was brought to the ground just short of a touchdown, with the ball bouncing into the end zone and then out of bounds.

This in turn resulted in a touchback and a turnover in favor of the Bills, whereas a fumble out of bounds anywhere else on the field other than the end zone would have seen Kansas retain possession at the point of the fumble.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. (12) fumbles the ball through the end zone for a turnover that stopped a scoring chance.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. (12) fumbles the ball through the end zone for a turnover that stopped a scoring chance :: © Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ultimately it didn't matter as the Chiefs held on to beat the Bills, but given how incredibly tight the game was, there was a chance it could have proven a decisive moment.

And this also happened during the regular season to the Minnesota Vikings, with Justin Jefferson judged to have fumbled out of bounds through the end zone against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 when the Vikings were down 10-7 and later lost the game.

The incident sparked complaints about the rule then, and more complaints followed on Sunday night, with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler going so far as to suggest the rule will be repealed in the offseason (presumably because it happened to NFL darlings the Chiefs).

But as ever the delights of social media provides ample opportunity to disagree, with many in favor of keeping the rule as a punishment for teams that fail to protect the football so close to the end zone.

Some have also suggested a potential alternative so instead of a devastating turnover of possession, the fumbling team could instead be given a 10-yard penalty and a loss of down.

We'll now have to keep an eye on rule changes in the offseason, with indications pointing towards an end to the rule.

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Adam Uren
ADAM UREN

Raised on the Isle of Man, Adam has 15 years experience as a reporter and editor at regional and national level in the U.K. and the U.S. He moved to Minnesota in 2014 and became a writer for Bring Me The News. He is now the co-owner and editor of Bring Me The News and Bring Me The Sports, mixing in some occasional sports writing with his other editorial duties. He lists his three great loves as his family, Liverpool F.C. and baked beans (the British kind).

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