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Let me ask this, in absense of the caseplay, and on a field with no pylon (for some reason), if an airborne player carried the ball out of bounds before the ball crossed the goalline, is it out of bounds in Fed (it is in NCAA).
Why the difference?
The rule sliver quoted above doesn't even specify where the ball is coming from when it strikes the pylon, and makes no mention whatsoever of TD vs OOB. It merely states that a ball touching the pylon is out of bounds (just like a receiver's foot touching the pylon, even if doing so while not touching the ground, is considered to be touching out of bounds) There are a number of situations where I believe this may come into play (a receiver diving for a catch, feet not touching ground, ball hits pylon before a foot touches inbounds - incomplete - the ball hit out of bounds, or a loose ball play where the ball is rolling around near the pylon, doesn't touch the ground out of bounds, but strikes the pylon - the ball is out of bounds, etc). But I don't believe this play is even relevant.
We all agree that when the ball goes out of bounds, it's out of bounds (in the hands of an airborne player, obviously). So on a play where the airborne player is diving toward the pylon --- if the ball is carried out of bounds at the 1 inch line, it's OUT. Period. It hasn't yet hit the pylon, but it's OUT. The play is dead. Subsequent touching of the pylon doesn't suddenly make it back IN again. That's silly.
I think you're letting the poorly worded caseplay and a rule that doesn't say a word about TD vs OOB convince you that you should over-rule the other rules in the rulebook.
PS - I never meant to say that YOU (Bob) personally had apathy here, it's obvious you don't. But it was implied earlier by a few that this was a simple case and we need not complicate it (and echoed by one other). Apathy. It was also implied by others that it might be easier to just call this a TD even though by rule it's OOB. Again, apathy (worse here - intentional apathy). Obviously, this is not simple. I've discussed this with 3 of the rules gurus I know not on this board, and they all agree that this is out of bounds, and not a TD. I actually find it odd that the board seems to have overwhelming support for a TD on this. It's counterintuitive.
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