Rewatching the game I still didn't see the ball cross the goaline seeing from the pylon camera on ASU first touchdow.Reminded me of the Clemson game few years back.
Ref's blew it again.

It seemed like an obvious touchdown to me.

Even so, its whether the referee right there sees it cross the goal line. After that happens what you have to see is proof it didnt cross.

Isn't the thing where the goal-line extends? i.e. as long as the player crosses the goal line while in bounds with possession of the football... then it doesn't matter exactly where the ball was?

I wondered about this too. Haven't re-watched it since yesterday, but what I recall is the ball was in his far hand and was way out of bounds and short of the line when his knee or foot hit the pylon.

I don't know what the rules are here, but thought it would be reviewed and overturned, and then they would score on the next play.

The pylon is part of the plane. The players body contracting the pylon counts. Ball position in this situation is irrelevant. Players body contacting the pylon while still in bounds is a touch down.

Not refuting your point, as I said I don't know the rules. My follow up question is why is the corner of the endzone at the pylon different than the rest of the goal line? In the middle of the field the ball position relative to the goal line is all that matters. Players get their heads, shoulders all parts of their bodies over the goal line but if no part of the ball breaks the plane of the outer edge of the white line, then it is not a TD.

AgPops said:

---

Rewatching the game I still didn't see the ball cross the goaline seeing from the pylon camera on ASU first touchdow.Reminded me of the Clemson game few years back.
Ref's blew it again.

---

It was a matter of time

AgPops said:

---

Rewatching the game I still didn't see the ball cross the goaline seeing from the pylon camera on ASU first touchdow.Reminded me of the Clemson game few years back.
Ref's blew it again.

---

Yeah he went out prior and just like the arch td against us at home on the first game playing them, similar bc they say he was stretching out but that stretch was still out of bounds too

This one can be tricky to explain.

Normally the ball (in player possession) has to cross the goal line in bounds, between the pylons.

The goal line only gets extended outside the pylons if the player establishes himself in the end zone. Then the ball still has to cross the goal line (or goal line extended) before it becomes dead. The player can establish himself in the end zone by stepping into the end zone, or by touching the pylon.

The ball becomes dead when a TD is scored, or when the player touches anything out of bounds including the pylon.

So if the player touches the pylon, the play becomes dead that instant. If the ball is across the goal line or the goal line extended outside the pylons when he touches the pylon, it's a TD. If the ball is short of the goal line and goal line extended when he touches the pylon, then the ball is dead where it's at.

If a player steps into the end zone near the pylon but without touching it with the ball held in his hand out across the sideline, he has established himself in the end zone and gets the extension. The ball still needs to cross the extended goal line before he steps out of bounds or gets tackled in the end zone.

The pylon stuff counts too when a player dives towards the pylon. If he touches the pylon with the ball first, TD. If he touches the pylon with a part of his body first, ball is dead and he only gets the TD if the ball is ahead of the pylon and across the goal line extended.

The user who said the player can just touch the pylon with his body and ball position doesn't matter is incorrect. If the player is running and the forward most part of his body is his front foot and that kicks the pylon, the ball becomes dead and it might be a full yard back still.


Rulebook for reference:
Goal Lines and Pylons
ARTICLE 2. The goal line at each end of the field of play runs between the sidelines and is part of the vertical plane that separates the end zone from the field of play. The two goal lines are 100 yards apart. The plane of the goal line extends between and includes the pylons, which are out of bounds. The entire goal line is in the end zone. A team's goal line is that which it is defending.

ARTICLE 15.
a. Out of Bounds
1. A player is out of bounds when any part of their body touches anything
other than another player or a game official on or outside a boundary
line.
2. An out-of-bounds player who becomes airborne remains out of bounds
until they touch the ground inbounds without simultaneously being out
of bounds.
b. In Bounds
1. An inbounds player is a player who is not out of bounds.
2. An inbounds player who becomes airborne remains inbounds until they
are out of bounds.

ARTICLE 1. A touchdown shall be scored when:
a. A ball carrier advancing from the field of play has possession of a live ball when it penetrates the plane of the opponent's goal line. This plane extends beyond the pylons only for a player who touches the ground in the end zone or a pylon.

I don't know the rule but it didn't look like the ball crossed the extended goal line before the player hit the pylon.

But, they probably would have scored anyway.

Examples from the rule book:

Approved Ruling 8-2-1
I. Ball carrier A1, while attempting to score, strikes the pylon located on the
right intersection of the goal line and sideline with his foot. He is carrying
the ball in his right arm, which is extended over the sideline. RULING:
Whether or not a touchdown is scored depends on the forward progress
of the ball as related to the goal line when the ball becomes dead by rule
(Rules 4-2-4-d and 5-1-3-a).

II. Ball carrier A1, advancing in the field of play, becomes airborne at the two-
yard line. His first contact with the ground is out of bounds three yards
beyond the goal line. The ball, in possession of the ball carrier, passes over
the pylon. RULING: Touchdown (Rule 4-2-4-d).

III. The ball, in possession of airborne ball carrier A21, crosses the sideline
above the one-yard line, continues beyond the pylon and is then declared
dead out of bounds in possession of A21. RULING: Ball is declared out of
bounds at the one-yard line (Rules 2-12-1 and 4-2-4-d).

IV. Quarterback A12 completes a forward pass to a teammate who is standing
in Team B's end zone. (a) A12 is beyond the neutral zone when he releases
the ball. (b) The receiver is wearing uniform number 73. RULING: In (a)
and (b) the result of the play is a touchdown. The penalty is completed
according to Team B's options.

V. Ball carrier A22 dives for the goal line at the B-1. The ball in his possession
(a) touches the pylon; (b) goes over the top of the pylon; (c) crosses the goal
line inside the pylon. A22 then first contacts the ground out of bounds
three yards beyond the goal line. RULING: (a), (b) and (c) Touchdown in
all three. The ball in A22's possession has broken the plane of the goal line
in all three scenarios.

VI. Ball carrier A22 heads for the right-hand pylon at the goal line. At the
B-2 he dives or is blocked into the air by an opponent. The ball in A22's
right hand crosses the sideline at the B-1 and passes outside the pylon, and
then A22 (a) touches the pylon with his foot or left hand; (b) first touches
the ground out of bounds three yards beyond the goal line. RULING: (a)
Touchdown. The goal-line plane is extended since A22 touches the pylon.
(b) Not a touchdown. The goal-line plane is not extended because A22 did
not touch either the pylon or the ground in the end zone. The ball is ruled
out of bounds at the B-1.

VII. Ball carrier A22 heads for the right-hand pylon at the goal line. The ball
in his right hand crosses the extension of the goal line outside (i.e., to the
right of) the pylon, and then A22 steps (a) on the goal line; (b) on the
sideline inches short of the goal line. RULING: (a) Touchdown. The goal-
line plane is extended because A22 touches the ground in the end zone. (b)
Not a touchdown. The goal-line plane is not extended. The ball is ruled
out of bounds at the crossing point.

VIII. Ball carrier A22 heads for the right-hand pylon at the goal line. The ball
is in his right hand. His foot hits the pylon just before the ball crosses (a)
the pylon or (b) the extension of the goal line just to the right (outside) of
the pylon. RULING: (a) and (b) No touchdown in either case. Because
the pylon is out of bounds the ball is dead when A22's foot hits it. Thus in
both cases the ball is dead before it crosses the goal line.

IX. Ball carrier A1 is hit and his forward progress stopped inbounds near the
goal line at the sideline to his right. When he is stopped he has the ball
in his right hand extended beyond the goal line (a) inside the pylon; (b)
outside the pylon. RULING: (a) Touchdown. The ball became dead when
he extended it beyond the goal-line plane. (b) Not a touchdown, because
no part of his body touches either the pylon or the end zone. In this case
the goal-line plane is not extended.

Thank you for the rules. From what you posted it definitely seems like a review was warranted, but they probably would have scored on the next play if they had overturned the TD.