Sunday Morning Hangover: Jaylen Waddle’s Non-Touchdown

It’s first and ten for Alabama at the Mizzou 12-yard line with the Crimson Tide up 14-0. On the first play of the second quarter, QB Mac Jones finds Jaylen Waddle in the flats on a short pass. With a Tigers defender closing in him, the Bama wide receiver skates along the sideline and makes a dive for the end zone for an apparent score. However, upon further review, Waddle was ruled down at the one yard line. Initially as he dove, he reached out the ball and then tucked it with his right arm. His left arm reached out and hit the pylon before the ball crossed the goal line and before he touched the ground.

[ED.NOTE: Since there were no good replays online, I took pictures of my TV, so sorry. You may not be able to tell from these pictures but his knee is not down.]

On the field, the officials ruled it a touchdown. The guy in the booth had a different interpretation.

According to NCAA rules, touching the pylon is out of bounds. Oddly enough, if he had dove over the pylon, it would have been a touchdown. A player is out of bounds if any body part is touching a sideline, end line, or anything, other than another player or a game official, that is on or beyond a sideline or end line. That “anything” includes the pylon.

RULE 4: Ball in Play, Dead Ball, Out of Bounds

SECTION 2. Out of Bounds

Player Out of Bounds

ARTICLE 1.
a. A player is out of bounds when any part of his person touches anything, other than another player or game official, on or outside a boundary line (Rule 2-27-15) (A.R. 4-2-1-I and II).
b. An out-of-bounds player who becomes airborne remains out of bounds until he touches the ground in bounds without simultaneously being out of bounds.
c. A player who touches a pylon is out of bounds.

Held Ball Out of Bounds

ARTICLE 2.
A ball in player possession is out of bounds when either the ball or any part of the ball carrier touches the ground or anything else that is out of bounds, or that is on or outside a boundary line, except another player or game official.

RULE 8: Scoring

SECTION 2. Touchdown

How Scored

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. (A.R. 2-23-1-I and A.R. 8-2-1-I-IX).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, they got it right. The real amazing thing is how quick on the trigger the review official was on this play, when he/she fell asleep when a Mizzou player clearly trapped a ball that was ruled a reception. But that is a rant for another Sunday morning...