Why was Alabama penalized on sideline vs Oklahoma?
- - Why was Alabama penalized on sideline vs Oklahoma?
John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORK December 20, 2025 at 4:11 AM
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The first half of the Oklahoma vs. Alabama rematch in the first round of the College Football Playoff had almost everything.
That includes a bizarre first penalty of the night for the Crimson Tide that nearly saw its second-half momentum completely washed out.
The penalty came on third-and-5 at the Oklahoma 47-yard line with 22 seconds remaining in the half, when a member of the Alabama coaching staff was called for "sideline interference" after bumping into an official on the field in Norman. It gave the Sooners a fresh set of downs and brought them closer to field goal range instead of putting them into a fourth-and-4 after a 1-yard carry from quarterback John Mateer.
REQUIRED READING: Oklahoma vs Alabama score, live updates: CFP game underway in Norman
It wouldn't end up costing Alabama, though, as the Crimson Tide defense got some stops and Oklahoma decided to let the clock run out instead of taking a shot down the field or punting.
Alabama scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter — highlighted by a 50-yard pick-6 from Zabien Brown — to tie the game up at 17-17 at halftime against Oklahoma, which beat the Crimson Tide in the regular season.
Here's why Alabama was handed a penalty near the end of the first half:
1 / 6See the best photos from Oklahoma vs Alabama in CFP first roundThe Sooner Schooner takes the field prior to the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide during 2025 College Football Playoff First Round Game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on December 19, 2025 in Norman, Oklahoma.Why was Alabama penalized?
It's rather straightforward: a member of Alabama's staff bumped into one of the sideline officials.
ESPN rule analyst Bill LeMonnier agreed with the call from the official during the ABC broadcast by mentioning that part of the field is the referee's "territory." ABC's broadcast caught Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer showing frustration with the call.
"That's his territory. You've endangered me and you don't belong there," LeMonnier said on the broadcast.
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The Sideline interference penalty on Alabama 30+yds down the field... It was gonna be 4th down & a punt for Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/OEPDCMBDqU
— 🜲 🜲 🜲 (@fsh733) December 20, 2025
The winner of the Crimson Tide-Sooners game will advance to a CFP quarterfinal against No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 1.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why was Alabama penalized on sideline against Oklahoma in CFP?
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