Rule clarification

[_sturt_]

One of those questions I've just never thought to pose, and/or it's so basic it's almost embarrassing to ask... but here goes... from the Dez FTF video today...

So, the ball doesn't actually break the plane here, but his foot does, so it was ruled a touchdown.

Yet, I'm almost certain I've seen players--I'm thinking Witten in particular unless my brain is cramping--turn at the goal line and catch the ball with their heels on the paint, yet get hit from the backside and the ball itself never crossed the plane... and no touchdown was awarded.

I'm missing something here... which is it? Was this erroneously called a TD, or should Witten have been awarded the TD?

 

[KJJ]

The ball has to break the plane in bounds and I'm sure at some point it probably crossed over the pylon before that picture was taken. Dez may have changed hands with the ball after crossing the goal line. You can't always go by screenshots because you don't know at what point they were taken.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Depends.

Is the game on the line?

 

[robbieruff]

Depends.

Is the game on the line?

 

[Direwolf63]

One of those questions I've just never thought to pose, and/or it's so basic it's almost embarrassing to ask... but here goes... from the Dez FTF video today...

So, the ball doesn't actually break the plane here, but his foot does, so it was ruled a touchdown.

Yet, I'm almost certain I've seen players--I'm thinking Witten in particular unless my brain is cramping--turn at the goal line and catch the ball with their heels on the paint, yet get hit from the backside and the ball itself never crossed the plane... and no touchdown was awarded.

I'm missing something here... which is it? Was this erroneously called a TD, or should Witten have been awarded the TD?

Thats not a TD to me.

When I saw it live I said it wasn't.

 

[Cowboys_22]

If it was a playoff game, it would not be ruled a TD

Go Cowboys!

 

[lukin2006]

Depends on the day and the ref...lol

 

[xwalker]

One of those questions I've just never thought to pose, and/or it's so basic it's almost embarrassing to ask... but here goes... from the Dez FTF video today...

So, the ball doesn't actually break the plane here, but his foot does, so it was ruled a touchdown.

Yet, I'm almost certain I've seen players--I'm thinking Witten in particular unless my brain is cramping--turn at the goal line and catch the ball with their heels on the paint, yet get hit from the backside and the ball itself never crossed the plane... and no touchdown was awarded.

I'm missing something here... which is it? Was this erroneously called a TD, or should Witten have been awarded the TD?

 

[JBS]

The goal line extends infinitely horizontally out of bounds...that's definitely a touchdown

 

[thunderpimp91]

It may have changed, but there used to be an "around the world" rule with the plane of the endzone. It had something to do with the player could be airborne and cross the plane out of bounds as long as they don't physicaly hit the ground, or maybe they could extend the ball out of bounds to cross the plane as long as their body doesn't touch out of bounds. I'm not really sure, but my guess is it applies to this somehow.

 

[KJJ]

Need to see a video of the play. As long as Dez brought the ball back in allowing it to cross over the pylon it's a touchdown.

 

[thunderpimp91]

The goal line extends infinitely horizontally out of bounds...that's definitely a touchdown

Thats what I always thought, but found it confusing when players dive for the pylon instead of diving out of bounds to score. As long as you don't touch out of bounds it would still count as a score, right?

 

[xwalker]

One of those questions I've just never thought to pose, and/or it's so basic it's almost embarrassing to ask... but here goes... from the Dez FTF video today...

So, the ball doesn't actually break the plane here, but his foot does, so it was ruled a touchdown.

Yet, I'm almost certain I've seen players--I'm thinking Witten in particular unless my brain is cramping--turn at the goal line and catch the ball with their heels on the paint, yet get hit from the backside and the ball itself never crossed the plane... and no touchdown was awarded.

I'm missing something here... which is it? Was this erroneously called a TD, or should Witten have been awarded the TD?

Good question.

I've seen many similar plays where it appeared that the ball was out of bounds but the refs called it a TD. The refs seem much more focused on the ball being in/out of bounds on plays where the player is diving towards the endzone.

For people that want to review, start at about 1:55 in the video.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2017/01/14/finishthisfight-dez-bryant

 

[JBS]

Thats what I always thought, but found it confusing when players dive for the pylon instead of diving out of bounds to score. As long as you don't touch out of bounds it would still count as a score, right?

That wouldn't count

 

[KJJ]

Good question.

I've seen many similar plays where it appeared that the ball was out of bounds but the refs called it a TD. The refs seem much more focused on the ball being in/out of bounds on plays where the player is diving towards the endzone.

For people that want to review, start at about 1:55 in the video.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2017/01/14/finishthisfight-dez-bryant

Just watched the video. It's very close but it appeared the ball just glanced over the pylon, it nipped it. The picture was taken when the ball was further away from the pylon.

 

[Little Jr]

I didn't think it was a td. Collinsworth brought it up during the game.

 

[csirl]

The entire pylon is out of bounds.

 

[KJJ]

The entire pylon is out of bounds.

Wrong, the entire pylon is in bounds. Can't believe you don't know that.

 

[AdamJT13]

The goal line extends outside the pylon ONLY when the player is in the end zone. Dez has a foot in the end zone, and the ball is over the "goal line extended," so it's a touchdown.

If the player is not in the end zone, then the ball must cross the goal line inbounds.

 

[AdamJT13]

ARTICLE 1. TOUCHDOWN PLAYS. A touchdown is scored when:
(a) the ball is on, above, or behind the plane of the opponents’ goal line (extended) and is in possession of a runner who has
advanced from the field of play into the end zone
(b) a ball in possession of an airborne runner is on, above, or behind the plane of the goal line, and some part of the ball
passed over or inside the pylon
(c) a ball in player possession touches the pylon, provided that, after contact by an opponent, no part of the player’s body,
except his hands or feet, struck the ground before the ball touched the pylon
(d) any player who is legally inbounds catches or recovers a loose ball (3-2-4) that is on, above, or behind the opponent’s
goal line
(e) the Referee awards a touchdown to a team that has been denied one by a palpably unfair act