The Houston Texans defeated the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in what many believed to be a controversial victory. Referee Clay Martin spoke with pool reporter Stephen Holder after the game, where several of the calls were discussed.
Texans-Colts Controversy Settled by NFL Referee
Holder began the pool report by asking Martin questions regarding the play clock and snapping the ball, as well as the confusion on a pass interference call against Colts’ cornerback Kenny Moore.
Answering both questions to the best of his ability, Martin then went on to describe what exactly happens when there is controversy around an extra point or field goal, such as the one on Sunday.
THE HOUSTON #TEXANS CLEARLY MISSED THIS EXTRA-POINT.
😳😳😳
Both refs said that the kick was good.
This is outrageous. The #Colts have every right to be livid with the refs and the league.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) November 30, 2025
As the kick tails off-center, it appears the ball misses to the side of the upright. However, the height of the kick affects everything, something Martin addressed during his interview.
“The calling official had the ball above the upright and completely inside the outside edge of the upright and so he ruled a successful try,” Martin said. “Since the ball was above the upright, it’s not reviewable.”
With it being nearly impossible to tell to the naked eye and an inability to review the play, calling officials must be spot-on for each extra point and field goal. Regardless of whether it went through the uprights, Indianapolis would have ultimately still fallen short of Houston.
Aside from the extra point, Martin did his best to describe the two aforementioned controversial plays as well. Regarding the lack of calls on potential delay-of-game moments, Martin explains that there is a process behind it.
“The back judge is the calling official and there is a process on that,” Martin said. “When the clock hits zero, he looks down to the ball and if the ball is snapped as he looks down from the clock to the ball, we leave that alone. That’s what he ruled on the play.”
With pass interference called on the same play being another main point of contention, Martin once again elaborates.
“The calling official had an arm grab at the top of the route. When you look back, the ball was in the air, and when you see the ball in the air, that makes it pass interference.”
While the pool report may not answer all questions about these specific plays, it provides a general explanation of the official rulings on these particular moments. With controversial plays nearly every week, can the NFL find a way to satisfy fans with more in-depth postgame explanations?
