The NFL officiating department stepped in Sunday to reverse the team set for the second-half kickoff in Sunday's game between the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys, an unusual move that corrected a mistake during the pregame coin toss.

After the Cowboys won the toss, quarterback Dak Prescott first told referee Walt Anderson that "we want to kick it," but then followed up with: "We defer to the second half."

Anderson replied, "You're going to kick," meaning that the Cowboys had used their choice to kick off rather than to defer. The Cowboys kicked off to start the game and were set to kick off again to open the second half. At halftime, however, Anderson informed both teams that the NFL office in New York City had heard Prescott's request to "defer" and that it should be honored.

According to the NFL, the league office was authorized to step in under Rule 15, Section 3, Article 9 of its rule book. It states: "The replay official and designated members of the officiating department may consult with on-field officials, or conduct a replay review, of game administration issues, including: (a) penalty enforcement; (b) the proper down; (c) spot of a foul; and (d) the game clock."

It was not immediately clear how that definition includes the coin toss. There will be a pool report on the issue released after the game.