^^^^^^Perhaps they should have kept quiet until they concocted a plausible explaination to announce on their website at a later date?
As you have offered, there may be an explaination (although I think you're grasping at straws with yours), but It's typical WWE, particularly in terms of the Rumble... It took them years to catagorically state that "...
Both feet must hit the floor", then there's the issue of can a competitor eliminate themselves (Savage having leaped over the top rope himself, was allowed back in the RR which took place during his fued with Jake, so as per above theory Finlay wouldn't have eliminated himself, only Hornswoggle...).
I'd need to re-watch about 15 RRs to say specifically, but there's defo at least one other contradiction in the application of the rules during the rumble's history prior to 'the Finaly incident'.
Always seemed to me that they we being as vague as possible with the rules in case of times where they need to bend or break them.
....hasn't really come back to bite them on the arse, unless of course you come to the IWF.
Bearing in mind that wrestling relies on a certain amount of suspension of disbelief, WWE can always do without slipping up like this... To whatever degree, it dents the credibility of the product.
Besides, c'mon... I'm sure the "smart"(er) WWE audience stretches a bit further than this forum.
(Eager to point out that this didn't dent my enjoyment of the event at all, but analy-retentive gripes and pontification is what internet forums are all about, innit? ;o] )