NFL Referee Gene Steratore used an extremely unorthodox method to help show whether or not the Dallas Cowboys had gained a crucial first down Sunday night, but it was apparently allowed by the league. With the Cowboys and Oakland Raiders tied at 17 and five minutes remaining, Dallas had the ball at its own 38 and went for it on 4th-and-1. The spot was right at the mark, and it was difficult to tell if it was a first down when measured, so Steratore broke out an index card to see if there was space between the nose of the football and the pole used to measure. A league representative later said there is “no prohibition” on using an index card, sheet of paper or another object in the course of making a ruling.
