American fans confused by CFL walk-off win after missed field goal
If you talk to most die-hard CFL fans, they’ll find a reason they find the viewing experience of the sport equal or better to the NFL, even if there’s a wide talent gap between the two leagues.
Some might cite the CFL’s close games, the offence-friendly rules such as a wider field or having multiple pre-snap players in motion, or simply the tradition of the league as why they like it more than the American version.
But for fans discovering the CFL via a walk-off win by the Toronto Argonauts over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Tuesday night, well, they got to see one of the oddities of the Canadian game out in full force.
Argonauts kicker Lirim Hajrullahu lined up for a 40-yard-field goal in the waning seconds of the game with the score tied at 19, and aimed toward the uprights to try to seal the win for Toronto. Missing wide left, Hajrullahu’s kick sailed through the end zone but still sealed the win for Toronto via a one-point rouge.
WALK-OFF ROUGE? WALK-OFF ROUGE! đ¨ pic.twitter.com/xaAClXxOCM
— Toronto Argonauts (@TorontoArgos) August 23, 2024
Fans in the United States (and elsewhere) didn’t seem to understand or respect the whole ordeal, or at the very least had some thoughts to share about it.
Here’s some of the reaction from around social media:
Somebody explain this to me https://t.co/tTETjjjGLa
— Tony X (@soIoucity) August 23, 2024
In Canada, you can win a football game by missing a field goal. https://t.co/gDJTvmU0uM
— Coach Duggs (@CoachDuggs) August 23, 2024
this just broke my dumb american brain https://t.co/g2NLhAt47w
— aria đ (@GRAV1TYWAVE) August 23, 2024
The lamest rule in sports.
If you want to keep the rouge at least institute a rule you canât win a game with one.
He missed. And they won. https://t.co/s0YgSr1eYD
— Charles Tweed (@CharlesTweed) August 23, 2024
where is the drama in this if all he needs to do is kick the ball as hard as possible https://t.co/SrdPMDvrKb
— just max productions (Hou Chronicle contributor) (@jmproductionsyt) August 23, 2024
What the hell did @JustinTrudeau do to football? Walk of win by missing a field goal? Its time to invade Canada and put a stop to this madness. https://t.co/0Po2s6HWP5
— Dan Snyderâs Yacht (@DanSnydersYacht) August 23, 2024
This is horrifying https://t.co/CTz71nHZ40
— Stefan đŻ (@TkachukFanAcc) August 23, 2024
For the official explanation of how the rouge works, here’s the CFL rulebook’s section on it:
If the ball is kicked into the Goal Area by an opponent, a rouge is scored:
- when the ball becomes dead in possession of a team in its own Goal Area or,
- when the ball touches or crosses the Dead Line or a Sideline in Goal, and touches the ground, a player or some object beyond these lines.
And while some fans might not like the rule, the Argonauts can only play under the rules that are put in front of them. The win pushed them to 6-4 on the season, as they look to push for their fourth consecutive playoff berth over the final eight games of the year.
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