Goalpost and Out of Bounds
 

Here are two scenarios to consider:

1. The post for the goal post is in the ground right behind the end line but the padding is wide enough to be in the end zone. A receiver catches a pass while body is in contact with the padding. Is this a completed catch?
2. A has the ball at B's 5 yard line. A1 drops back to pass and throws into the end zone where the ball bounces off the upright and into the hands of A88. Touchdown? Incomplete pass?

I believe we have an incomplete pass in both cases because the ball or player are in contact with something that is out of bounds thus making the ball dead.

Canadian Ruling
 

CANADIAN RULING:

1. The body is allowed to interact with the padding with no affect.
2. Incomplete pass as soon as the ball hits the upright.

1. This should have been discovered in the pregame walk thru so a decision on how to handle it should be made prior to the game. My first thought is to treat this like we do in baseball, let the home team coach decide in advance (local ground rules) and as long as visitors agree we're in business.

2. I agree, dead ball

We always make sure that the pylons on the endline (the ones in line with the hash marks) are several feet off the endline to avoid problems. In the case above, it's an incomplete pass, but if a receiver jumps up and brushes the goal post and then catches the ball and returns in bounds, he is guilty of illegal participation. It's exactly the same as if he was running down the sideline and stepped on the sideline and then returned inbounds and caught the pass.

Heh...but for educating those who may be reading without knowing anything else about the Canadian rules, maybe you'd better explain that the goal is on the goal line and its supports will be within bounds.

As to the first situation, if it didn't seem as if the receiver used contact with the padding or support to stay in the end zone, I'd be inclined to "not see" him touch the padding.

Robert

Yes, that is true.

The uprights are centered on the goal line. The crossbar is 10 feet high and something like 18.5 feet side. In fact, if a rusher hits the padding with the ball, the ball is deemed to have crossed the goal line, and therefore scores a touchdown.