Nit picking on a field goal question

[AndrewMcCarthy]

Originally Posted by BigFarns

I don't agree with you on the question of avoiding the safety. I don't have my books on me right now...I'll grab them when I get home....but I'm almost certain that forward progress is the foremost tip of the ball and if that foremost tip in past the plane of the goaline and in the field of play then the ballcarriers forward progress is NOT stopped in the end zone and therefore not a safety. Then when placing the ball I'm again almost certain that since no part of the ball can be in the endzone that the offense is "given" the few inches to make the back part of the ball get out of the endzone. Again I will get my books as soon as I get home cause these "once in a lifetime" situations are what makes reading the rulebook fun.

For forward progress, the ball is where the ball is. I believe you're thinking about when the ball is turned "sideways". To spot the ball for play you have to keep the back end where it was and the offense gains a few inches when you turn the ball to place it.

[waltjp]

I'll vote for the entire ball passing between the uprights for the kick to be good. Someone posted link to a play last season that showed a long field goal attempt that hit the cross bar and bounced straight up and back onto the crossbar 3 times before falling into the end zone. I don't think anyone claimed that the kick should have been good.

[HawkeyeCubP]

Originally Posted by waltjp

I'll vote for the entire ball passing between the uprights for the kick to be good. Someone posted link to a play last season that showed a long field goal attempt that hit the cross bar and bounced straight up and back onto the crossbar 3 times before falling into the end zone. I don't think anyone claimed that the kick should have been good.

They should have. By rule, technically, if the field and uprights were properly marked and aligned, that would be a successful field goal, as the cylindrical front edge of the crossbar and uprights should be directly over and in line with the inside edge of the end line (1-2-5-a). The front edge of the cross bar is where the all-important "plane" is that must be penetrated by the ball.

Look at the language in Case Book play 8-4-1-a and in Rule 8-2-1-a - they both use the word "penetrate." It's the same principle, with regard to the ball and the related plane, for scoring a touchdown and a successful field goal or try.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by HawkeyeCubP

They should have. By rule, technically, if the field and uprights were properly marked and aligned, that would be a successful field goal, as the cylindrical front edge of the crossbar and uprights should be directly over and in line with the inside edge of the end line (1-2-5-a). The front edge of the cross bar is where the all-important "plane" is that must be penetrated by the ball.

Look at the language in Case Book play 8-4-1-a and in Rule 8-2-1-a - they both use the word "penetrate." It's the same principle, with regard to the ball and the related plane, for scoring a touchdown and a successful field goal or try.

I disagree. The case book play you reference uses 'penetrate' to illustrate that the ball wasn't completely inside the upright, but instead passed over the upright.

Rule 8-4-1c states that the ball "shall pass between the vertical uprights ... and above the crossbar"

"Pass" is the important word here - meaning 'to move in a path so as to approach and continue beyond something'. A ball bouncing on a crossbar has not continued beyond it.

[AndrewMcCarthy]

Originally Posted by HawkeyeCubP

They should have.

Or perhaps they didn't want that to be their last game.