A play during last Monday night's game got me thinking about this concept and its application in Fed and NCAA ball. I've never really fully understood the goal line extended concept. I think the rules for the NFL are quite different from Fed or NCAA and that could be one reason for my confusion.

Here is a play that might help start the discussion:
2nd and Goal from B's 5 yardline. A11 bootlegs to the right side and dives from B's 2 yardline towards the pylon. A11 lands out of bound beyond the goaline and the ball never passed inside the pylon. While diving, the ball passed the sidelines at the 1/2 yardline. No part of A11 contacted out of bounds until he landed. Ruling?

NF/NCAA: there is no goal line extended for a diving player.
The ball must pass over/inside the pylon to be a TD, else the ball is spotted where it first crossed the sideline in your example at the 1/2 yard-line.

OB at the 1/2 yard line. The goalline extended ONLY applies to ball carriers who are touching the ground. If you dive it disappears.
WHY? The goalline extended allows a player that is running alog the sideline to protect the ball by keeping it on the outside of his body and still get the ball into the EZ without having to shift the ball. It also allows for a catch where the ball never technically gets in the EZ.
The extension disappearing when a player goes abourne takes away the ability to intentionally "leave" the field and still score a TD.

Now the rule says you put the ball at the spot the ball crossed the sideline.
Play: Ball carrier is running down the sideline and extends his arm (and ball) over the sideline at the 10. (He's keeping the ball away from the defenders.) He dives from the 2 to outside the pylon. Where you going to put the ball?

question
 

I agree with what has been said above, with one question. I don't have my books with me, so I can't look it up but......if you touch the pylon aren't you considered down, in bounds in the endzone????? With that being said i know that Michael Vick didn't touch the pylon, but in the example above if you are able to extend your inside hand and touch that pylon, doesn't that bring back into play the extended goal line??

Re: question
 

No - pylons are out of bounds. If you touch the pylon, you are OOB.

I'm going to spot the ball at the 2.

Anyone wanna give a Canadian ruling on this one? I'm curious how our rules handle it.

I was watching the game last Monday with my roomies and when they asked me about it, I could explain it.

And #85 wasn't on the game. :( I'm sure one of his explanations would've made us all experts on the rule.

Re: Re: question
 

However you are down in the endzone if you touch a pylon, right??

REPLY: Both NCAA and Fed consider the pylon OOB <u>behind</u> the goal line.

Ok, so what about this play;

A11 is running towards the pylon. He is carrying the ball is his outside arm when he gets hit by B43. The contact knocks A11 in a manner that he leaves his feet and hits the pylon first then lands out of bounds beyond the goaline. At the point of contact with the pylon, the ball has crossed the sidelines 3 inches shy of the goaline. Fed and NCAA Ruling?

REPLY: Should be A's ball at the 3" line for both codes.

Canadian Ruling
 

While our rules do not specifically cover this, the interpretation is that for a player to score a TD using the extended goal line, some part of their body must be over the inbounds area.