NFL backs Super Bowl officiating

Holmgren was not happy with the standard of officiating at Ford Field

The NFL has defended the officiating in Super Bowl XL after claims that several bad calls affected the game's outcome.

Most of the questionable calls in Detroit went against Seattle, who eventually lost 21-10 to Pittsburgh.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said: "We knew it was going to be tough. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well."

But the NFL said in a statement that it believed the contest had been "properly officiated".

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello added: "As in most NFL games, some tight plays produced disagreement about the calls made by the officials."

Holmgren, an ex-chairman of the NFL's rule-making committee, said straight after Sunday's game that a first-quarter offensive interference call on Darrell Jackson which prevented a Seattle touchdown was a "no call".

It was one of several fiercely-debated decisions which stopped Seattle pressing home their superiority early on.

The Super Bowl officiating crew, headed by referee Bill Leavy, comprised of officials graded as the best at each position during the regular season.