It isn't just NFL refs

[cj]

UNC, down by 8 to Clemson late, tries an onside kick and recovers inside the 50 with plenty of time to score. But wait, there is a flag on the play. UNC jumped the gun and was called for being offside. Not only wasn't any player offside, it wasn't even close. Remember, this is the same conference that totally botched the Miami Duke kickoff return earlier this year, and certainly if UNC wins this game the ACC loses a LOT of money.

http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/north-carolina-offsides.jpg

[Marshall Bennett]

I only see 10 NC players. Perhaps the 11th is at the bottom out of sight and offsides?

[cj]

No, he wasn't. I don't even think there was another player since there is a wider view picture:

https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_j5W3yVT1WTxESgb4r2W9PIcC7k=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4327565/20151205225242.0.jpg

[Stillriledup]

Here's a video and picture

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/12/5/9856072/clemson-unc-acc-championship-game-onside-kick-offside-referees

[ReplayRandall]

I only see 10 NC players. Perhaps the 11th is at the bottom out of sight and offsides?

Watching the video, the player at the top of the screen is actually 2 players appearing as one in the screen-shot.....

[cj]

Watching the video, the player at the top of the screen is actually 2 players appearing as one in the screen-shot.....

Yep, good call.

[Marshall Bennett]

Watching the video, the player at the top of the screen is actually 2 players appearing as one in the screen-shot.....
Ha ha. Also the shadows. Thanks.

[ManU918]

At some point there has to be a coaches challenge implemented to be used against nonsense calls like this. If not coaches challenges the booth has to get involved. There are too many refs screwing up and altering the final score to not put a plan in place. As I'm typing this DeAndre Hopkins clearly pushes off and scores a touchdown. Plays like this should be reviewed especially when Hopkins has both arms fully extended and pushes the defensive back 5 yards away. If the roles were reversed there is no doubt that the defensive back gets called for pass interference.

[RXB]

Ridiculous call on the "offside." There was also a fairly clear targeting by a UNC player on the Clemson player that muffed the recovery. So the re-kick seemed almost fair in a roundabout way, which of course bodes even worse for the officials as they blew two calls on one play.

[kingfin66]

It is beyond me how they can botch this with an official on each side of the line. Wouldn't one of them have the ability to clarify that it was not offsides? Unless, of course, they both thought it was offsides.