First down/Touchdown

TriggerMN · #1 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 15, 2003, 08:59am

Can someone tell me why a touchdown by the offense in the NFL is also counted as a first down? Is it merely because the team has gained 10 yards? Doesn't a first down also mean the team receives a new set of downs?

JasonTX · #2 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 15, 2003, 09:43am

If a team gets to the line to gain then they get a first down. The goalline is also a line to gain.

BktBallRef · #3 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 15, 2003, 10:30am

I beleive that ruling is consistent in NFHS and NCAA as well.

Ed Hickland · #4 (**permalink**) Thu Sep 18, 2003, 07:54pm

Section I, Article 1 of the NCAA Official Football Statistics Rules,a first down is recorded whenever the yardsticks are ordered forward and/or a touchdown is scored from scrimmage.

ref5678 · #5 (**permalink**) Thu Sep 18, 2003, 09:18pm

the nfhs statastics mannual states a td is also a first down

Rich · #6 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 19, 2003, 09:46am

We'd better keep quiet or the SEC officials will start signaling a time out AND a first down after giving the touchdown signal.

One of my huge pet peeves. The clock stops on a touchdown signal or an incomplete pass signal. Why oh why do some areas of the country feel the need to add a time out signal to this? It looks silly and must be horribly awkward.

Rich

Snake~eyes · #7 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 19, 2003, 10:17am

Quote:

Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser
Why oh why do some areas of the country feel the need to add a time out signal to this? It looks silly and must be horribly awkward.

That's how I was taught, I stopped doing it after one game cause it IS silly and it IS akward.

MD Longhorn · #8 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 19, 2003, 12:57pm

I was taught that way too, at least on an incomplete pass. One pass of the arms for incomplete pass, then one over the head for timeout. It felt silly to me as well, and as I saw veterans doing it, I stopped.

However, nowadays I watch the clock at lot, as the guys running clock for anything below JV need a lot of help (and occasionally JV guys as well). If I notice them not stopping the clock on incomplete, I go back to signaling for it after signaling incomplete.