NFL Ruling

That's not quite right. Imagine a box the same size as the playing field, excluding the end zone. If the ball crosses through either of the long sides of the box before it crosses through one of short sides, it is out of bounds at that point. Even if the players body crosses one of short sides but the ball doesn't, that's not a touchdown.

As for anywhere on the field, the ball is marked at the spot it went out of bounds.

The play in question I believe the ruling was that the players feet were out of bounds BEFORE the ball crossed the goal line. If he had simply reached out and stuck the ball through the short side of the box, then went out of bounds at the 1/2 yard line, that would be a touchdown.

Where's my beer?

Frank,

I have never seen that ruling in my life, and I've watched a lot of football. I maintain that if the ball goes out of bounds before crossing the goal line, it will be marked as out of bounds.

You are incorrect here.

If the ball crosses the goal line before the carrier touches down out of bounds -- it is a touchdown. And the ball does not have to cross the goal line on the in-bounds portion, because as I mentioned, the goal line extends past the out-of-bounds markers.

This is absolutely correct -- and I am willing to make a considerable bet with anyone who wants to suggest it is wrong.

1. Sidelines and end lines are out of bounds. The goal line is actually in the end zone. A player with the ball in his possession scores a touchdown when the ball is on, above, or over the goal line.

2. The field is rimmed by a white border, six feet wide, along the sidelines. All of this is out of bounds.

A player who touches a pylon remains in-bounds until any part of his body touches the ground out-of-bounds.

By the way, the goal line you see is entirely in the end zone, so the moment the ball touches the goal line, it has crossed into the end zone.

Frank Apisa wrote:

By the way, the goal line you see is entirely in the end zone, so the moment the ball touches the goal line, it has crossed into the end zone.

That part I agree with. The rest I don't.

hmm. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

A touchdown is scored when the ball clears the goal line, which extends frome sideline to sideline, and no farther.

went to the library today, and looked the ruling up in the Official NFL Rulebook. It is as follows:

Section 2 TOUCHDOWN
Article 1
It is a touchdown:
(a) when a runner (3-38) advances from the field of play and the ball touches the opponent's goal line (plane);
or
(b) while inbounds any player catches or recovers a loose ball (3-2-3) on or behind the opponent's goal line.

Section 38 TOUCHDOWN
A touchdown is the situation in which any part of the ball, legally in possession of a player inbounds, is on, above, or behind the opponent's goal line (plane), provided it is not a touchback (11-2).

As far as the question of whether the pylons are inbounds, the Rulebook states:

The four intersections of goal lines must be marked at inside corners of the end zone and the goal line by pylons mounted on flexible shafts. Pylons must be placed at inside edges of white lines and should not touch the surface of the actual playing field itself.

There you have it. The plane is only vertical because the ball has to be on, above, or behind the goal line, and MUST be possessed by an offensive player who is INBOUNDS. The ball can, however, touch the pylon because the pylons are inbounds.

Mystery solved!

I am a football fan that has a rule related question about the NFL. I hope that this is the right forum to clear up my confusion about a rule. If it isn't, please let me know and I will not bother the members that are posting here. Ok, here is my question: I heard that the goal line of a football field extends out (as an imaginary line) from the out of bound marker so that a player doesn't necessarily have to get the ball to cross the plane of the goal line inside the pylon, and that as long as the player hasn't stepped out of bounds (and is diving in the air, for example) they will have scored a touchdown if the ball crosses the plane of that imaginary goal line that extends out of bounds. But that it is a common misconception among players that the ball has to cross the plane of the goal line inside the pylon, which is why they attempt to reach with the football when they are close to the goal line and are getting forced out of bounds. The source of this information was an announcer to a professional game. Can anyone point me in the direction of the rule book or confirm or deny this rule? Thanks. Loyal Fan.

The NFL doesn't post their rule book on the internet. This is the 1% of the time an announcer was correct on a rule. The plane of the goal line extends upward forever. The goal line extended also has no limits. If the ball carrier hasn't physically touched out-of-bounds, it's a TD when the ball touches the front edge of the plane of the goal line. The pylons on the goal line are considered to be in the EZ.