I am a football fan that has a rule related question about the NFL. I hope that this is the right forum to clear up my confusion about a rule. If it isn't, please let me know and I will not bother the members that are posting here. Ok, here is my question: I heard that the goal line of a football field extends out (as an imaginary line) from the out of bound marker so that a player doesn't necessarily have to get the ball to cross the plane of the goal line inside the pylon, and that as long as the player hasn't stepped out of bounds (and is diving in the air, for example) they will have scored a touchdown if the ball crosses the plane of that imaginary goal line that extends out of bounds. But that it is a common misconception among players that the ball has to cross the plane of the goal line inside the pylon, which is why they attempt to reach with the football when they are close to the goal line and are getting forced out of bounds. The source of this information was an announcer to a professional game. Can anyone point me in the direction of the rule book or confirm or deny this rule? Thanks. Loyal Fan.

The NFL doesn't post their rule book on the internet. This is the 1% of the time an announcer was correct on a rule. The plane of the goal line extends upward forever. The goal line extended also has no limits. If the ball carrier hasn't physically touched out-of-bounds, it's a TD when the ball touches the front edge of the plane of the goal line. The pylons on the goal line are considered to be in the EZ.

Bob

Aren't there different provisions for an airborne player vs a player who is running? If a player is running and is not out of bounds, the goal line extends indefinitely. The ball merely needs to cross the goal line (inside or outside the pylon doesn't matter). However, if a player dives, the ball is dead the moment the ball crosses the sideline plane, correct?

The plane of the goal line extends indefinitely as long as the ball carrier is in contact with the ground in the field of play. If the ball carrier is airborne, the dead ball spot will be where the ball crossed the sideline.

Agreed
 

I agree with Mike and Steve that you must be in contact with the ground, in bounds to take advantage of the goal line extended.

Not sure if there are any differences in the NFL to this rule, but it sure seems that the officials call it the same as NFHS and NCAA.

Thank You
 

To all who replied so promptly, thank you very much. I got pummelled this past weekend by some good buddies of mine while we were watching the super bowl. They all thought I was out of my mind and were sure that the goal line didn't extend beyond the pylons/sideline, in any situation, saying that is why NFL players always try to get the ball inside the pylon. So, thanks again for clearing that up. I always enjoy being able to rub my buddies faces in the dirt (and one of them even played D1 football at Marshall).

His name isn't Chad Pennington or Randy Moss is it? lol

Re: Thank You
 

NFL players may not know the rule either. ;)

Alright, Ali! You were right! Damn, give us a break. Just kidding brother. Thanks for clearing it up, even though, you are remembering the conversation wrong. And we were the drunk fools, not you!
Of course, I still don't believe you, And you know Kurt will deny that you are right, until the day he dies.

NFL goal line (plane) rule
 

I was discussing this same topic with some Bengals and Browns fans. They swore that the plane of the goal extends outside of the pylon, and that players don't necessarily have to keep the ball inside of the pylon when diving for a touchdown. They claimed that it was a legal touchdown as long as the player is inbounds when he leaves the ground. What I long believed was just the opposite. The plane only exists vertically and that the pylons are the last part of the field that is inbounds. Thus, the ball would have to be inside or touching the pylon.
I went to the library today, and looked the ruling up in the Official NFL Rulebook. It is as follows:

Section 2 TOUCHDOWN
Article 1
It is a touchdown:
(a) when a runner (3-38) advances from the field of play and the ball touches the opponent's goal line (plane);
or
(b) while inbounds any player catches or recovers a loose ball (3-2-3) on or behind the opponent's goal line.

Section 38 TOUCHDOWN
A touchdown is the situation in which any part of the ball, legally in possession of a player inbounds, is on, above, or behind the opponent's goal line (plane), provided it is not a touchback (11-2).

As far as the question of whether the pylons are inbounds, the Rulebook states:
The four intersections of goal lines must be marked at inside corners of the end zone and the goal line by pylons mounted on flexible shafts. Pylons must be placed at inside edges of white lines and should not touch the surface of the actual playing field itself.

There you have it. The plane is only vertical because the ball has to be on, above, or behind the goal line, and MUST be possessed by an offensive player who is INBOUNDS. The ball can, however, touch the pylon because the pylons are inbounds.

Mystery solved!

Re: Agreed
 

I just want to veryify this,

the NFHS rule is you have to be touching inbounds to take advantage of goal line extended? Thanks.

Re: Re: Agreed
 

Boy, someone really revived this thread from the dead.

Yes, the GL extended only applies to a player touching inbounds (see 2-25-3). If the the player dives and first lands OOB, then the ball is spotted at the location of the ball when the player first crossed the plane of the sideline (4-3-3). Also see Casebook play 2.25.3.

Re: NFL goal line (plane) rule
 

Even in the NFL, the pylons are out of bounds. It is a TD when the player touches the ball to the pylon because the pylon lies beyond the plane of the GL--the ball would have to cross the plane in order to touch the pylon. Unfortunately based on the rules you stated it does not definitively answer whether the player must be touching inbounds to take advantage of the GL extended. The goal line extended is probably dealt with in the definitions section of the rules.

That was all could find
 

What I presented you with was all I could find in the whole NFL Rulebook concerning goal lines. I went through 200 pages, and that is all the book said about touchdowns and the goal line. There was NOT ONE mention of a "goal line extended" the only mention was of the plane and that players must be inbounds while legally possessing the ball. There is the mention that the ball MUST be "on, over or behind the goal line" in order to be a TD.