[bluezebra]

Originally posted by 4 Sport Official

Is there a difference in the NFL rules, as opposed to NF, in terms of spotting the ball when the play ends by the runner going out of bounds?

Many of you probably saw the play that I am going to reference. It took place last Sunday Night(11.17.02), in a game between the Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots. There was a call in the first half, on a third down and short situation, running play. The runner dives for a first down, near the sideline towards the one-yard line, and is horizontal to the ground, as he is pushed out of bounds. He left his feet inbounds, and continued his airborne movement, both towards the goal line, and, at the same time over the sideline. The spot of the ball was significantly short of the line to gain, and was challenged by Oakland. The replay showed that the point of the ball was nearly at the goal line, by the time any part of the runner's body touched the ground out of bounds. I did not see that any other player that was out of bounds was touching the ball. When Ed Hochuli explained his determination to overturn the ruling on the spot of the ball, he said that the ball would be spotted at the one-and-a-half yard line. I do not remember the exact wording, but it was something to the effect that this was where the ball had crossed the vertical plane of the sideline. ??? Why is there a goal line extended, if the ball would be out of bounds when it crosses the vertical plane of the side line?

The ball isn't out of bounds until the ball carrier is, or it touches someone or something OOB. If he remains inbounds while the ball is OOB, and it breaks the plane of the goal line extended, it's a TD. In the above situation, the ball was marked where IT was when the runner became OOB.

Bob