NFL rule change (1 Viewer)

[GregR_2]

In past years in the NFL, as long as any part of a player crossed over the pylon, it counted as a touchdown. That is, you could dive out of bounds with the ball outstretched away from the field, and as long as your free hand passed over the pylon, it was a TD because the goal line extends an infinite distance out of bounds.

On NFL Total Access, they said that is changing. Now the goal line will be treated the same as everywhere else on the field. Wherever the ball goes out of bounds is what matters. So a player diving for the pylon has to get the ball over the pylon, not just his hand.

 

[avoiding injuries]

I thought that's what the rule already was. The image of Jerry Rice going out of bounds but holding the ball over the pylon comes to mind.

 

[BigRed]

No, I think a guy could for ex have his legs nicking the pylon altho his arms/the ball were out.

 

[KnowledgeReignsSupreme]

About damn time.

 

[AB in DC]

First I've heard of this. Any link? If there's a new rule, it should be written up somewhere.

 

[Nemesis]

About time.

M. Vick has been the one that's taken advantage of that stupid rule in the past.

 

[zed2283]

That hasn't always been the rule, but it has been the rule for at least several years (that the goal line extended around the world). It was an idiotic rule, and I'm glad they're changing it back.

 

[BassNBrew]

In past years in the NFL, as long as any part of a player crossed over the pylon, it counted as a touchdown. That is, you could dive out of bounds with the ball outstretched away from the field, and as long as your free hand passed over the pylon, it was a TD because the goal line extends an infinite distance out of bounds.On NFL Total Access, they said that is changing. Now the goal line will be treated the same as everywhere else on the field. Wherever the ball goes out of bounds is what matters. So a player diving for the pylon has to get the ball over the pylon, not just his hand.

Thanks for the heads up....updating my rankings accordingly.

 

[SSOG]

That hasn't always been the rule, but it has been the rule for at least several years (that the goal line extended around the world). It was an idiotic rule, and I'm glad they're changing it back.

I always thought that coaches should insert whoever on the team had the best long-jump in goal line situations. Have the player run for the corner and do a long jump out of bounds. As long as he crossed the imaginary goal line before he landed, it'd be a TD. Defenses would catch on after you ran the play a couple of times, but it should be good for a couple of cheap TDs, since most defenders are too busy defending the goal line (in bounds) to worry about defending the sideline, too.

 

[GregR_2]

That hasn't always been the rule, but it has been the rule for at least several years (that the goal line extended around the world). It was an idiotic rule, and I'm glad they're changing it back.

I always thought that coaches should insert whoever on the team had the best long-jump in goal line situations. Have the player run for the corner and do a long jump out of bounds. As long as he crossed the imaginary goal line before he landed, it'd be a TD. Defenses would catch on after you ran the play a couple of times, but it should be good for a couple of cheap TDs, since most defenders are too busy defending the goal line (in bounds) to worry about defending the sideline, too.

No, part of the player's body still had to cross the goal line in bounds. You couldn't cross the goal line with your entire body five feet out of bounds even if you haven't touched the ground yet.

 

[GregR_2]

First I've heard of this. Any link? If there's a new rule, it should be written up somewhere.

Nope, no link. First I'd heard of it. It was on NFL Total Access during the segment that Mike Pereira, the head of officials, comes on. I missed the first part of it. The only other stuff I caught was that they are going to try moving the official out from behind the defense. They'll test it weeks 1 and 3 and then review it and decide if they want to go with it in 2008.