I agree that is what the rule says about the ball breaking the plane of the goal line. What I disagree with is that the rule is a good one. You are in-bounds until a body part is on the line or touches the ground beyond the line. You have to have two feet (or a foot and another body part) on the ground to have a legal reception in any part of the field (you cannot just catch the ball within the "plane" of the playing field). If a punt bounces in the field of play, crosses the plane of the goal line and is then batted back into the field of play by a player who has broken the plane of the goal line but has not yet touched the ground in the end zone the ball is still considered to be alive and can be downed in the field of play. The ball cannot just "break the plane" of the uprights, it has to go all the way through the uprights for a field goal or point after touchdown to count.

So what nimrod decided that "breaking the plane of the goal line" was sufficient to score a touchdown? All I am saying is that the rule (amongst many others, by the way) stinks. It is an artificial intrusion into the logic of the game that is clearly designed to favor the offense. It should be immediately banned, along with that insane "tuck" rule that robbed the Raiders of a legitimate win over the Patriots in the AFC Championship game two years ago. (I'm still hacked at that atrocious call, and I am far from being a Raiders fan.)

Here's a suggestion: let's make every official's call subject to the legitimate public scrutiny that every other person associated with the NFL gets. If they screw up and get reprimanded, let's hear about it on ESPN and every newspaper. No more "private" reprimands or discipline. Let's get it out in the open, and fire the skunks who shouldn't carry a whistle.

Freightdawg