But on one of the times that UF downed the ball on the one wasn't the guy who batted the ball out of the end zone laying down in the endzone? I was at the game and didn't get a good view of it and obviously couldn't get an explanation from a TV announcer.
it looked like on one of them that the ball might have crossed the plain...it was a tough call to make but florida got the home cooking the player wasn't in the end zone though
On the particular play he is talking about the players body from the waist down was in the endzone. The UF player never established control of the ball while out of the endzone and it should have been a touch back. If a WR catches the ball and only gains control while laying on the ground with the lower half of his body out of bounds it is not a catch, the rule for downing the ball is very similar.
My memory from highschool ball is that that the ball can cross the plane and be batted back into play so long as the ball and the player knocking it back have not yet touched the ground within the endzone, similiar to the way a basketball can be returned inbounds by a leaping player. THus at least one of the plays last night would have been a touchback. However, I think that the rule has changed along the way, so that now the ball itself can't cross the plane at all, but there are no restrictions on the position of the player who stops it. Is this right?
It does not matter where his body is, it only matters where the ball is! His whole body can be in the endzone, if he downs it at the one before the ball crosses the goal line, it is down at the one, no matter where his body is.
That doesn't sound right, I always thought that when a player was stepping on the end zone line and he touched the ball it was called a touchback.
I really would like to know the rules on this. Also, I would like to know the rules on a player catching it in the end zone, starting to return it, and then downing it. Does the ball have to cross the plane for it to be a safety, or does any part of the player have to cross, or what. Also where does the plane of the end zone start in that case? The back or the front of the white line?
I thought the same about the touchback. One major problem is the different rules for the NFL and college football. It's not a major thing like 1 foot in for catch in college 2 in pros, so not many people actually know... me included. For a saftey, as long as the ball is all the way out of the endzone. the player can be in the endzone. The plane of the goalline starts at the front of the white line, right where the white of the goalline meets the green of the grass.
I thought both were pretty much legit, and I was with the band, so the one you are referring to was right in front of me.
In reference to the "where does the endzone start" question, yes, the line/stripe itself is a part of the endzone. Also, one of the nice setups are the positions of the pylons for reference. They are actually within the endzone, with the front and outside walls matching the field/endzone and out-of-bounds/endzone planes, respectively. So a player reaching the ball out when racing for the corner can touch the pylon with the ball and thus demonstrate he made it in. One of the things they've had right for a long time. Could use something similiar for the goalposts (taller? lights/lasers?)
