I never realized that the rule that a receiver must come down with a catch in the endzone and keep possession of the ball throughout NOW ALSO APPLIES to a runner that catches the ball inside the field of play and runs into the endzone and is tackled on the ground.


Cowboys are at about the 30 yard line. QB throws a completion to the 20 yard line. The receiver catches the ball and runs toward the endzone and runs into the middle of the endzone (no question of going out of bounds and hitting the plylon.)

He then runs through the endzone and is hit and falls out of bounds.

THEN THE OFFICIAL GOES OVER TO LOOK AT HIM ON THE ground out of bounds to see if he still has the ball!!!

In the old days, the instant you cross the goal line with a ball, even on a quarterback sneak, it's a touchdown, EVEN if a defender then knocks the ball out of your hand.

So HOW COME, it made any difference when a receiver catches the ball and runs 20 yards into the endzone and is then hit AFTER he crosses the goal line (not on the edge but in the middle).

This is crazy if they have become so wrap up in this maintaining possession out of bounds crap that they have abandoned the rule that once the ball cracks the plane of the endzone with possession, a touchdown is automatic.

he already established possession at the 20 so once he crosses the goal line it's a td.

had the league just kept the replacements they'd be fine by now with a season and a half of experience.

they were easy scapegoats early last year but I liked them. they didn't give the stars preferential treatment.

I felt the same way about the replacements. No bias.