Seahawks' Carroll on controversial batted ball call: 'I didn't know that rule'

Like much of the viewing audiance, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was confused by the controversial call that helped seal his team's win on Monday night.

"I've been coaching a long time and playing for years, and I've never seen that happen before," Carroll said Tuesday during his weekly appearance on 710 ESPN Seattle.

Carroll didn't realize until he was celebrating the win that his team should have been penalized when linebacker K.J. Wright intentionally batted a Calvin Johnson fumble through the end zone.

The play was ruled as a touchback, giving the Seahawks the ball and essentially sealing their win. But it should have been called a penalty with the ball placed at the 1-yard line in the hands of the Detroit Lions.

Carroll said his coaching staff teaches players to bat balls out of bounds to retain possession, rather than trying to grab onto them. But he didn't know it's illegal to bat balls in the endzone.