steelers@ravens winning touchdown

[Barcelona]

It is a touchdown, when:
-ball in runner´s possession breaks a plane of goalline (this rule is used, when offense is running into the endzone. This wasn´t this case)
-there is a completed catch in the endzone (that´s the rule, that was used). When throwing a pass, all four boundary lines of the endzone are equal. Receiver can stand inside the endzone, can extend his arms beyond endline or sideline, and if he completes the catch (that means both feet down, firmly grasping the ball), it is a touchdown - no matter where the ball is - whether the ball is inside or outside the endzone. And the same rule applies, when it´s caugth across the goalline. Let say, endzone is a huge aquarium - if you extend your arms from the aquarium and you have your feet on "aquarium´s floor", it is a catch IN aquarium.
There were many many touchdowns like yesterday´s one. And it never was questionable.

Ref made poor announcement, but ruling was clear. During the game, when Holmes muffed a punt, ref for some unknown reason assured everybody, that receiving team can advance a punt. Also that announcement was strange...

What is really bad - all servers, NFL.com included, report about wild touchdown, etc. Is it really such a huge problem to call Perreira and say "Mike, you know, we and all the nation are so stupid, that we don´t know the rules, can you explain the rules for us"? And it is not necessary to call Perreira, even somebody with knowledge of rules can be asked...

[sloth]

Originally Posted by Barcelona

It is a touchdown, when:
-ball in runner´s possession breaks a plane of goalline (this rule is used, when offense is running into the endzone. This wasn´t this case)
-there is a completed catch in the endzone (that´s the rule, that was used). When throwing a pass, all four boundary lines of the endzone are equal. Receiver can stand inside the endzone, can extend his arms beyond endline or sideline, and if he completes the catch (that means both feet down, firmly grasping the ball), it is a touchdown - no matter where the ball is - whether the ball is inside or outside the endzone. And the same rule applies, when it´s caugth across the goalline. Let say, endzone is a huge aquarium - if you extend your arms from the aquarium and you have your feet on "aquarium´s floor", it is a catch IN aquarium.
There were many many touchdowns like yesterday´s one. And it never was questionable.

Ref made poor announcement, but ruling was clear. During the game, when Holmes muffed a punt, ref for some unknown reason assured everybody, that receiving team can advance a punt. Also that announcement was strange...

What is really bad - all servers, NFL.com included, report about wild touchdown, etc. Is it really such a huge problem to call Perreira and say "Mike, you know, we and all the nation are so stupid, that we don´t know the rules, can you explain the rules for us"? And it is not necessary to call Perreira, even somebody with knowledge of rules can be asked...

I'm not going to speak too authorative on this as I'm not familiar with NFL interperations in this area, but I think that aquarium analogy is a bit flawed. The recievers feet and not the ball position doesn't matter in the back or side of the endzone because of the "goal line extended". The idea that the goal line does not stop at the out of bounds line and as long as the player is not out of bounds and the ball is over the extened goal line you have a touchdown. My understanding of the interperation is that you have to treat the front of the endzone different than the sides and back becasue of this principal.

[Barcelona]

Aquarium "rule" applies only to passing game. For running game´s purposes, breaking the plane of goalline is rellevant.

Would Holmes catch the ball with left foot in the endzone and then rigth at "one-yard" (also something, what would cause the pass incomplete, would it be across the sideline, not goalline), he would be credited witch catch, but outside the aquarium (therefore no TD) and forward progress would be determined according to the position of the football in moment he would be down by contact

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by sloth

I'm not going to speak too authorative on this as I'm not familiar with NFL interperations in this area, but I think that aquarium analogy is a bit flawed. The recievers feet and not the ball position doesn't matter in the back or side of the endzone because of the "goal line extended". The idea that the goal line does not stop at the out of bounds line and as long as the player is not out of bounds and the ball is over the extened goal line you have a touchdown. My understanding of the interperation is that you have to treat the front of the endzone different than the sides and back becasue of this principal.

I also don't know the specific rule here but my understanding is the same as yours based on comments made by one of the studio guys who claimed to have talked to Pareira. I don't always trust those guys to interpret anything rules related. He did say Pereira agreed with the ruling so the crew ultimately got it right. Either the aquarium analogy is correct or they ruled the ball did cross the plane of the goal. It was so close I can't say for certain either way. I didn't think it was conclusive enough to overturn though. I was hoping the call on the field would stand because I wanted to see if the Steelers would go for it or kick a field goal to tie.

[Barcelona]

Crossing the goalline was questionable. May be yes, may be no. It this case, they would have to upheld onfield ruling (no TD), as there was no visual evidence.

[wwcfoa43]

Originally Posted by Barcelona

It is a touchdown, when:
-there is a completed catch in the endzone (that´s the rule, that was used). When throwing a pass, all four boundary lines of the endzone are equal. Receiver can stand inside the endzone, can extend his arms beyond endline or sideline, and if he completes the catch (that means both feet down, firmly grasping the ball), it is a touchdown - no matter where the ball is - whether the ball is inside or outside the endzone. And the same rule applies, when it´s caugth across the goalline. Let say, endzone is a huge aquarium - if you extend your arms from the aquarium and you have your feet on "aquarium´s floor", it is a catch IN aquarium.

I disagree that all four boundary lines are treated the same. A TD is ruled when a pass is completed and the ball is on, above or behind the opponent's goal line. With that in mind, the other three planes created by the boundary lines are not relevant when ruling a TD. The only relevance is the goal line on whether the ball is in goal and the ruling on whether the pass was complete or not which involves the ground.

It is not a TD if you catch the ball on the non-goal side of the goal line, if it never crosses the line, regardless of where parts of your body are.