Spotting the Ball

[AndrewMcCarthy]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

On a play near the sideline, it's where the ball is when the player FIRST contacts out of bounds (with exceptions around the goal line that I don't want to go into right now).

Careful here...

NCAA 4-2-4e: When a runner dives or jumps toward the sideline and is airborne as he crosses the sideline, forward progress is determined by the position of the ball as it crosses the sideline.

NF 4-3-3: When a runner goes out of bounds, the inbounds spot is fixed by the yard line through the foremost point of the ball at the time the runner crosses the plane of the sideline.

[FeetBallRef]

Originally Posted by AndrewMcCarthy

Careful here...

NCAA 4-2-4e: When a runner dives or jumps toward the sideline and is airborne as he crosses the sideline, forward progress is determined by the position of the ball as it crosses the sideline.

NF 4-3-3: When a runner goes out of bounds, the inbounds spot is fixed by the yard line through the foremost point of the ball at the time the runner crosses the plane of the sideline.

These are different definitions, do they mean the same thing?

[AndrewMcCarthy]

Originally Posted by FeetBallRef

These are different definitions, do they mean the same thing?

I take them to mean the same thing, yes.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by AndrewMcCarthy

Careful here...

NCAA 4-2-4e: When a runner dives or jumps toward the sideline and is airborne as he crosses the sideline, forward progress is determined by the position of the ball as it crosses the sideline.

NF 4-3-3: When a runner goes out of bounds, the inbounds spot is fixed by the yard line through the foremost point of the ball at the time the runner crosses the plane of the sideline.

Good point ... a nit worth picking... when I wrote this, I was not intending to imply an airborne player, but I see how it could be read that way. Thanks for the clarification. I was really referring to a player doing the tightrope.

[Dukat]

The times when my partner across the field and I have differing spots USUALLY has to do with Forward Progress. He has a bad tendency IMHO to not give FP and in those instances we are usually off.