steelers@ravens winning touchdown

[PackersFTW]

clearly nobody knows for sure what the actual rule is. this is frustrating.

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.

there is one situation where the goal line extended kinda changed. that is where you are diving for the front corner of the end zone. the rule used to be that if you dove out of bounds at the 1, and ANY part of your body crossed over the pylon in the end zone, it was a TD. i thought this was an insanely stupid rule. so stupid some players thought you needed to cross the ball over the corner of the end zone, some fumbling while trying, when all you needed to do was wave your arm over it. the rule was recently changed so that you must cross the ball over the goal line while in bounds.

Originally Posted by Suudy

Now, I don't know NFL interpretations. Doesn't the NFL have some different interpretation of batting kicks away from the goal that the players feet have to be out of the EZ? Perhaps a similar principal applies. But you'd think the same principal would apply to the running game as well.

i don't understand what you mean here.

Originally Posted by With_Two_Flakes

Saw that game over here in the UK. The replays that UK TV showed over here actually froze it at the moment of the catch and the ball had just penetrated the GL so it was a TD. UK commentators seemed to agree it was a TD.
Surprised to read on this forum that there is any controversy. I think the replay guy got it right - tight call but correct.

an inch of the tip of the ball did cross the goal line, BUT it was not in the receivers possession at that time. there is no way you can say it absolutely crossed the goal line while in his possession. i'd say based on the replays, there is like an 80% chance it didn't cross the goal line, but that means it's not definitive, thus can't be overturned. many people forget it must be 100%, otherwise the call on the field stands. i think this "must be conclusive" rule should be removed, because who says the call on the field is best just because you can't tell from the replay? refs make mistakes, let the replay tell you. even if you are only 55% sure on something, choose that.

[Suudy]

[QUOTE=PackersFTW;558453]

Originally Posted by Suudy

i don't understand what you mean here.

How many times do we say players (NCAA and NFL) attempt to keep a punt from going into the EZ that try to keep both feet in the field of play. In NFHS (and I think NCAA, you TX guys can confirm) it doesn't matter where you are in the field (note: OB is different), only where the ball is. However, those guys who try so hard to keep both feet out of the EZ when batting must learn it somewhere.

Is this just a common misconception that coaches and players have?

Or does the NFL have a rule related to where the player is located when batting a kicked ball?

Just a curiosity.

However, this situation is obviously not related to this, since we appear to have some confirmation from the NFL that the ball broke the plane in player possession.

[wwcfoa43]

[QUOTE=Suudy;558559]

Originally Posted by PackersFTW

How many times do we say players (NCAA and NFL) attempt to keep a punt from going into the EZ that try to keep both feet in the field of play. In NFHS (and I think NCAA, you TX guys can confirm) it doesn't matter where you are in the field (note: OB is different), only where the ball is. However, those guys who try so hard to keep both feet out of the EZ when batting must learn it somewhere.

Is this just a common misconception that coaches and players have?

Or does the NFL have a rule related to where the player is located when batting a kicked ball?

Just a curiosity.

However, this situation is obviously not related to this, since we appear to have some confirmation from the NFL that the ball broke the plane in player possession.

In the NFL on scrimmage kicks, if the player's body contacts the end zone while he is recovering or catching a punt, it is a touchback, even if the ball was not in the end zone.

However, this has absolutely nothing to do with scoring a touchdown in which the ball MUST be in the end zone.

[JugglingReferee]

wwcfoa43 is correct. This is why you see the player tip-toeing along the ¼-yard line right near the goal line - so that "when the ball gets there", they are not in the EZ.

Players can re-establish themselves as in the FOP in they were once in the EZ.

[Forksref]

I think a lot of fans think that the ball has to cross over the entire line, not just the front edge of the line for a TD. I think the replay showed that the ball broke the plane, which is the front edge of the white line. I wonder if the networks or the NFL always have a camera looking down the GL because it seemed to be a perfect angle.

The NFL has had a lot of interesting plays this year.

[jimpiano]

Originally Posted by Forksref

I think a lot of fans think that the ball has to cross over the entire line, not just the front edge of the line for a TD. I think the replay showed that the ball broke the plane, which is the front edge of the white line. I wonder if the networks or the NFL always have a camera looking down the GL because it seemed to be a perfect angle.

The NFL has had a lot of interesting plays this year.

This is the most sensible comment made by any of the participants in the game:


Ravens' Coach John Harbaugh:

"Our guys are men," he said yesterday. "They're strong guys, and they realize that it's our job not to put the officials in a situation to have to make that call. If we do our job better and finish in crunch time, it won't even be an issue. That's the way we look at it as a football team. We don't need the officials' help to win a football game. That's what good football teams do."

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by Forksref

I think a lot of fans think that the ball has to cross over the entire line, not just the front edge of the line for a TD.

God, I hope not.

I mean, fans are sheep and they're not all that bright, usually, but surely someone points that out to you within a couple of weeks of your first football game, right?

[Suudy]

Originally Posted by wwcfoa43

In the NFL on scrimmage kicks, if the player's body contacts the end zone while he is recovering or catching a punt, it is a touchback, even if the ball was not in the end zone.

Thanks for the explanation. I wasn't sure if this is the case. But now on Friday when this occurs I can give the usual sly response, "Only on Sunday..."

Originally Posted by wwcfoa43

However, this has absolutely nothing to do with scoring a touchdown in which the ball MUST be in the end zone.

Right. I threw this out as a possible explanation since the NFL sometimes takes into account the location of the player, not the ball. But now we know otherwise.

[With_Two_Flakes]

Originally Posted by PackersFTW

an inch of the tip of the ball did cross the goal line, BUT it was not in the receivers possession at that time. there is no way you can say it absolutely crossed the goal line while in his possession.

My bad! It wasn't the Steelers-Ravens I saw here in the UK, it was Cowboys-Giants.

Cant comment on the catch-nocatch in the Steelers-Ravens game.