England and Argentina were criticized for a long delay before scoring a try that helped them progress from their World Rugby Sevens group in Toulouse.
Will Homer ran down the clock by more than two minutes before he was challenged and grounded the ball.
Argentina won the game 19-7, meaning that both sides progressed at Canada's expense.
It was against the spirit of the game according to a former referee.
"When I was refereeing on the WR 7s circuit we would tell the player to ground the ball in this situation. I'm amazed the referee hasn't told him too," added Owens.
In a post on social media about the incident, World Rugby Sevens said: "Unique. Bizarre. Controversial."
Time seems to stand still in Toulouse as England deliberately delay scoring the try that takes them through to the quarter-finals - and Argentina, down to six men and also going through, let them.
The controversial score occurred when England's Homer received the ball a couple of metres from his own line, dummied his way through the Argentina defensive line and raced clear.
With no Argentina defenders chasing him, he slowed to a trot and then stood in the Argentina in-goal area holding the ball and looked to the England bench for advice.
He was told to run down the clock and stand there for more than two minutes, but no Argentine defender came to him, despite encouragement from the referee for either Homer to put the ball down or a defender to force him to do so.
The clock had been run down so much that he dotted the ball down.
Argentina, England and Canada were all tied on seven points at the end of their games in the latest round of the World Rugby Sevens series.
England went through to the quarter-finals as their points difference was four better than third-place Canada.
England and Argentina were beaten in the last eight.
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