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Any part of the ball must cross the goal line. Once any part of the ball has "broken the plane" it is a touchdown. The "whole" ball does not need to cross the line. If the ball is touching the white line, but no part of it passes the white line it is NOT a touchdown.

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14y ago
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14y ago

no , the tip of the ball must clearly cross the plane.

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Q: Does the ball have to cross the entire goal line or just touch it to be a touchdown?
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Related questions

What has to happen for a play to be a touchdown?

The team that has the ball has to cross the touchdown plain (white line) and still have possession.


What part of the ball has to cross the line for it to be out of play?

When any part of the ball or any part of the ball carrier touches the out of bounds line, the ball is out of play.


Where did the word touchdown come from?

football is the child of rugby. When you score in rugby you would have to touch the ball down to the ground, hence the word touchdown.


Where did the term touchdown come from?

In the first days of football when a ball carrier crossed the goal line he would touch the ball to the ground. The touching of the ball to the ground for the score was called a "TOUCHDOWN". This rule still applies in rugby, where a player doesn't score unless he touches the ball to the ground.


Is it a touchdown if the ball breaks the plane of the goal line on the out of bounds side when a player is diving?

The ball has to be in the touchdown zone. If it is above the zone it is still a touchdown. Take Troy Polamalu's touchdown on Dec,12,2010. He dived, broke the plane of the goal line but he was holding the football above the zone so it counts as a touchdown. In some cases the ref might not count it.


Why is a touchdown called a touchdown?

In the earliest days of American football, a "touchdown" required that the ball physically touch the ground beyond the goal line. This requirement was removed from the rules in 1889, but the name stuck.


Why is an NFL goal line pylon out of bounds?

The goal line is marked inbounds, but extends beyond the in bounds line. The pylon is the point at which the goal line is out of bounds. It is used by the sideline officials (usually deep wings: FG & SG) to determine when a touchdown is scored or not on plays that are at made at one of the four corners of the endzone. In the NFL, the ball has to be inside the pylon when running into the endzone to be considered a touchdown. In the NCAA starting this year (2012), and part of the player can touch the pylon and as long as the ball is inside the goal line extended (extending into the out of bounds area), to be considered a touchdown. In high school, the ball has to cross the goal line extended to be considered a touchdown.


Can you slide into a touchdown?

No - this was banned after 1978 when the Raiders deliberately fumbled the ball forward against San Diego for a winning touchdown.


In what game do you say a try?

a tri is a rugby term. it is when the team scores by getting the ball into touch. it is much like a touchdown in American football.


If a NFL player goes out of bounds are they out of the play?

According to referee Ed Hochuli who is quoted in the article that you can read at the 'Touchdown or No Touchdown' link below, a player who crosses out of bounds is awarded a touchdown if a part of his body touches in the end zone, or the pylon, after the ball crosses the 'imaginary' goal line outside the pylons. I interpret the question to ask if a player lands completely out of bounds but the ball crosses the 'imaginary' goal line outside the pylon, is it a touchdown? The way I understand what I read, the answer is no since no part of the player touched inbounds. Click on the 'Touchdown or No Touchdown' link to read the article and weigh in with your opinions. If I'm understanding your question right, you're asking about the hypothetical goal line that "travels around the world" indefinitely out of bounds. The NFL just changed this rule for the 2008 season, so that the extended goal line no longer exists. The player must now break the plane of the goal line within the field of play, or press the ball against the corner pylon, for the touchdown to count.


What is the definition in football of breaking the plane?

When commentators and football fans say "breaking the plane" they're talking about the endzone. The first and foremost rule in scoring a touchdown is that the football must break the plane or cross into the endzone some kind of way for anyone to even think about it being a touchdown. If a team runs the ball, it wouldn't matter if the player got his whole body into the endzone. If the ball didn't break the plane as he went in it is not a touchdown. If the ball is passed and is caught by a player who is falling forward out of the endzone and he doesn't allow the ball to break the plane it is not a touchdown.


Does the ball or a part of the ball carriers body have to pass over pylon of end zone to score a touchdown?

Part of the ball has to clear the plane in order to score a touchdown.