PHOENIX — If vice president of officials Dean Blandino and his lead referee in Super Bowl XLIX are on the same page, you wouldn’t have known it in their joint press conference Thursday.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll made news Thursday when he said a new signal would be introduced this week from officials, intending to clarify to a defense when offensive substitutes are eligible or ineligible receivers.

Blandino clarified that the signal — crossed arms below the waist — was actually used in the AFC Championship Game, which Bill Vinovich officiated.

Vinovich announced Patriots running back Shane Vereen as ineligible in the AFC divisional playoffs.

“I made the announcement: Do not cover 34,” Vinovich said Thursday, recalling the play that Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh felt was stretching the rules.

Blandino intervened, “Which we won’t do in the Super Bowl.”

Vinovich, puzzled, looked to Blandino and asked, “We won’t?”

Vinovich is working his first Super Bowl on Sunday but has been in the NFL since 2001 in various capacities.

Carroll said Thursday the Seahawks don’t want to be caught off guard and cited the importance of communication. Strong safety Kam Chancellor seemed to be of the mind that the referee will call out ineligible and eligible substitute receivers on a given play.

“The refs are going to call out those ineligible guys, those eligible guys, and we’re going to see it like we always see it every game,” Chancellor said. “When they do call it out, we hear it and we see it. We pay attention to detail. We’re a detail-orientated team defense, so it’s not going to change anything.”

Vereen said Thursday the Patriots will still use the formations to gain an edge, even if the advantage gained is by causing confusion.

“With the magnitude of the games,” Vereen said, “we wanted to be prepared for all situations. And that was one of the ways we tried to catch teams off balance.”

It seems even the NFL doesn’t have the answer.