Phil Luckett

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Phil Luckett is a back judge in the National Football League. His officiating uniform number is 59. He entered the NFL as a field judge in 1991, was a referee from 1997-2000, and has since returned to the back judge position (the NFL switched the titles of back judge and field judge in 1998). Luckett took a leave of absence from the NFL for the 2006 season. Having returned for 2007, Luckett is the Back Judge on Bill Carollo's crew. Luckett also refereed in the WLAF/NFL Europe, including being assigned World Bowl '97.

1 Controversy
2 2007 AFC Divisional Round
3 References

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Thanksgiving, 1998

The first was an overtime coin toss on Thanksgiving, 1998 between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions. The referee microphone only picked up Pittsburgh captain Jerome Bettis calling "tails."^[1] The toss was "tails", and Luckett called the Lions as the coin toss winners. Bettis insisted that he had called "tails", and Luckett insisted that (Bettis) had called "heads-tails," meaning that Bettis said "heads" first. The Steelers argued the call to no avail and Bettis denied Luckett's claim. The Lions scored a field goal on their first possession of the overtime to win the game.

Within a week, the game tape was enhanced, and Bettis is clearly heard saying "hea-tails." A sideline microphone enhancement also clearly had Bettis telling Coach Bill Cowher that (Bettis) had said "hea-tails."^[1] According to NFL rules, a team's first call is the one the referee will use.

Following this incident, the captain's choice of heads or tails is now called before the coin is flipped, and the referee will generally state it over his microphone so that there is no dispute.

This incident was parodied in the Film Rat Race, where Cuba Gooding Jr. plays the role of a referee who screws up the coin flip, costing one team the game.

[edit] Vinny Testaverde

The second was a late touchdown scored by Vinny Testaverde of the New York Jets against the Seattle Seahawks on December 6, 1998. Testaverde attempted a quarterback sneak on 4th down in the final minute of the game and although television replays clearly showed the football did not cross the goal line, Head Linesman Earnie Frantz ruled that Testaverde had scored. At the time, the NFL did not use instant replay to review officials' decisions. Luckett, as the head of the officiating crew that day, received bad publicity despite not actually making the erroneous ruling. The call would be cited as a major reason why the NFL reinstituted instant replay the following season.^[2]

[edit] The "Music City Miracle"

The third was the Music City Miracle play during the playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans on January 8, 2000. A lateral pass (by rule, a backward pass) thrown by Frank Wycheck to Kevin Dyson enabled Dyson to run 75 yards for a game-winning touchdown. The Bills claimed that the pass was actually a forward pass, and thus an illegal play that would have virtually clinched the game for the Bills. Instead, Luckett, after checking the replay, ruled the pass was thrown parallel to the 25-yard line, thus making it a legal backwards pass. The NFL gave the reason for the call was that replays showed no clear proof that the call on the field was bad. NFL Films, with computer assistance, later concluded that the pass was, once and for all, a lateral.^[3]

[edit] Joe Horn

Luckett was in the news again in 2001 when he failed to get out of the way and was run over by New Orleans Saints wide receiver Joe Horn as he streaked downfield for a pass from Aaron Brooks during the Saints' game against the Carolina Panthers.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2007 AFC Divisional Round

In the 2007 Divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts, Luckett made a questionable holding call that nullified an interception returned for a touchdown by San Diego. ^[4] Boomer Esiason also noted that it was a "very bad call."