Week 12 officiating video: When the ‘goal line extended’ is in play

Dean Blandino released the week 12 officiating video covering the goal line extended and the line of scrimmage extended, intentional holding, and fouls in and out of the end zone.

In the Patriots-Jets game, a two point conversion try was ruled successful and on replay, video evidence revealed that the ball had not crossed the plane of the goal line before the runner stepped out of bounds in the end zone near the pylon. Some part of the runner’s body has to touch in bounds in the endzone to get the goal line extended. Blandino reiterated that:

This is no different than a runner running down the sideline, he steps out of bounds at the one yard line with the ball at the one, it’s dead there, it’s short of the goal line, there’s no score.

In a similar play in the Vikings-Cowboys game last night, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant scored a TD and it was confirmed good on replay because the runner’s right foot came down in the end zone. This automatically triggers the “goal line extended” where the ball can cross the goal line anywhere outside the pylon if the runner remains in bounds while running into the end zone.

When a quarterback scrambles outside the pocket, as in the case of Aaron Rodgers from the Monday Night Football game, and throws the ball away, a line of scrimmage extended is granted from the side line out to the wall. As long as the ball lands at or past the line of scrimmage extension out of bounds, then it is a legal play. The line official will follow the ball path to see where it crosses and will inform the referee of his judgment.

A topic of much controversy last weekend occurred in the Ravens-Bengals game where the every member of the Ravens punt team held multiple Bengals defenders until time expired and allowed the punter to take safety. The holding fouls occurred in the field of play so there was no extension for an untimed down. If there had been a holding penalty in the end zone, the game extends for one final play, because the foul would create the safety, as we covered this in greater detail earlier in the week.

Lastly, Blandino covered a replay review that covered a team challenging the spot of a foul that, a new rule this year. In the Seahawks-Buccaneers game, a Buccaneers tight end was flagged for holding outside the end zone but on further review, it was determined the tight end initiated his hold in the end zone and therefore the play was overturned and ruled as a safety.