TD or not

[hightower52]

Maybe a dumb question but the GA v TX game got me thinking about it.

In that game ArchM got a touchdown by his body touching the pylon with ball past the goal line. IIRC the ball was out of bounds, but in this case the player is granted goal line extension. So, ball is past the extended goal line, in runners possession when runner hits the pylon making the play dead. Touchdown.

So my question is if a receiver catches the ball in the air, maintains possession to the ground and the ball is beyond the extended goal line, but receiver doesn’t tap the ground with one foot but instead only taps the pylon, is that a touchdown? What if it is the pylon at the back of the endzone? Can you score a touchdown like this without a foot hitting the ground but hitting the pylon instead?

That’s interesting I’ve never thought about if the Receiver comes down on the pylon because I know the pylon is inbounds

 

[Carp]

When a player runs toward the pylon, dives and slides the ball inside the pylon it is a TD. Even if he drops the ball before hitting the ground. If he is on the 50 and dives for a first down and drops the ball before he hits the ground it is a fumble.

Now they say as soon as the ball is in his hands and breaks the plain, it is deemed a TD regardless of what happens next.

A receiver jumps to catch a pass in the endzone, catches it and then drops it when he hits the ground it is incomplete even though he had the ball and broke the plain same as the other player.

I just really hate the dive at the pylon, drop the ball, whole body out of bounds but it is a TD......rant over!

Yes. Crossing the goal line with possession affectively makes it a dead ball, so what happens after that point is irrelevant. Similarly, if you fumble the ball at the 50 yard line, but the ref blows the play dead before it is noticed and then someone recovers the fumble after that, then it also a dead ball and not actually a fumble.

As far as catching the ball in the back of the end zone, there are indeed poor rules for that.

 

[Carp]

I saw another play like that one, it got me thinking about Pig and wondering

On those particular plays, the runner fumbled the ball just prior to crossing the goalline.

 

[VolCalls]

Let's clear up one thing. The player in possession of the ball must break the PLANE, not the plain.

PLANE - a flat surface on which a straight line joining any two points would wholly lie

PLAIN - simple or ordinary in character

 

[UT_Tix79]

The pylon itself is considered out of bounds. The ball has to be inside the pylons to be considered a TD. If the ball is outside the pylons, it is not a TD, ball is out of bounds and brought back to the half yard line

 

[TAF]

When a player runs toward the pylon, dives and slides the ball inside the pylon it is a TD. Even if he drops the ball before hitting the ground.

Pig Howard Says..."hold my BEER!"

 

[VolJarhead]

A comparative play would be a running back running across the end zone but fumbling before they cross. They have to reestablish possession for the score to count. If they never have possession and the ball proceeds out the back or side of the end zone first, it is a touchback.