Referee Gene Steratore's decision to use an index card while measuring a key first down Sunday night was "very unusual" but did not violate league rules, an NFL spokesman said Monday.
Steratore, who has been a referee since 2006, used what appeared to be a penalty card to measure the distance between the tip of the ball and the pole at the end of the first-down chains. He determined that the Cowboys had in fact converted a fourth down attempt, extending what turned out to be Dallas' winning drive in a 20-17 victory over the Raiders.