Rules Question (1 Viewer)

[Dt's Mules]

My understanding is that any part of the ball has to touch/pass any part of the goal line in order for it to be ruled a TD on offense.

That is, even if very tip of the ball touches the inch of the goal line closest to the field, it's a touchdown...Right?

If so, is the converse of this applicable when determining a safety? I.E. Does the entire ball need get out of the endzone (past the entire goal line) in order for it not to be a safety?

TIA

 

[Crazy8s]

No, the goal line is the goal line. if any part of the ball is across the line its a TD or a Safety

 

[Marc Levin]

Good question - I am unsure of the exact rule, but I believe it is the entire ball.

I recall this issue coming up in a game I was watching very early in the year where a QB was getting sacked in the end zone. The ref. gave the QB forward progress to where the ball was completely out of the end zone (the half yard line, actually), evenm though his feet never got out of the end zone whie he was being tackled.

And if you think of it as a runner taking a handoff in the end zone, you can imagine that it is probably the entire ball.

I'm sure it is in the rulebook, but I don't know what happened to my link to a site I had with easy to read/link-through NFL rules.

 

[Dt's Mules]

thought the same thing...

and it's across/on the goal line...it appears when regarding spotting the ball, officials don't take this into account. I got to thinking about it on that last OU TD drive. It didn't look like the ENTIRE ball made it back across the ENTIRE goal line, and thus, should have been a safety

 

[Marc Levin]

is the converse of this applicable when determining a safety? I.E. Does the entire ball need get out of the endzone (past the entire goal line) in order for it not to be a safety?

No, the goal line is the goal line. if any part of the ball is across the line its a TD or a Safety

So, your answer is "yes" (unless you just like answering "no" to every question someone poses - don't laugh, I know people that, even when they are answering a question affirmatively,m the first word out of their mouth when they hear the lilting question mark is "no")

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

A ball in the end zone that is carried toward the field of play is still in touch. It is a safety or touchback if any part of the ball is on, above, or behind the goal line (plane) when dead. In such a case, the ball must be entirely in the field of play in order not to be in touch.