A bizarre string events took place during a high school football game earlier this week, headlined by a highly controversial move by a member of the officiating crew.
The shocking incident took place on Thursday during the fourth quarter of the South Group 5 NJSIAA Regional Invitational Tournament first-round matchup between Vineland and Eastern. At the time, Eastern had the ball, trailing 14–13.
After an Eastern receiver was tackled right at the line to gain on fourth down, the referee called for a measurement. However, during the process of the measurement, the official appeared to not only move the chains closer to the nose of the football but also move the ball forward before quickly signaling for a first down.