Nfl rules question...

[8dog]

In the cowboys game sunday, When zeke stretched the ball for the first down on fourth and half yd he also voluntarily brought the ball back into his body. Why was he given credit for the farthest point in the stretch? In other words, what distinguishes that from a wr who catches a ball at his own 25 and reroutes himself to avoid tacklers but is tackled at his own 22. That ball would be placed at the 22

 

[seshomoru]

Not an expert, might have to ask engie, but...

I think the review showed that the stretch was at the same point his forward progress was stopped. The ball is spotted where it is when the runner is deemed stopped/down. Zeke got lucky that they didn't consider his progress stopped either before the reach, or after it, but right at a point the reach was across the line to gain. As for the receiver example, they would have deemed the receiver not being pushed back to the 22 if he was the one making the move as opposed to being forced back.

Clear as mud.

 

[Shamoan]

forward progress. when a wr backtracks on his own accord, his forward progress is redefined when he willingly surrenders yardage to try to gain more yardage. same as why they award a td for the tip of the ball crossing the goal line. the line to gain is in this case is the first down line instead of endzone. zeke wasnt going to surrender yardage by withdrawing the ball merely gaining position with the ball. qb's have been getting first downs like that on qb sneaks for decades.

 

[Drebin]

To me, the difference in the two scenarios is this:

Scenario 1: Zeke's forward progress was stopped. When he brought the ball back to his body, it wasn't a "football move" where he was trying to allude a tackle or gain extra yardage.
Scenario 2: the receiver is giving ground in an attempt to allude a tackler and gain additional yardage.

However, like Sesh said, I will yield to Engie for clarification.

 

[8dog]

But the end zone is different bc the play is dead as soon as you cross the goal line Not the same with a first down marker

 

[Shamoan]

alls you have to do is cross the line without redefining forward progress. he didnt and thus the first down. a leap forward while being pushed back doesnt redefine his forward progress. a player can get hit and struggle while being pushed back and the ball will be marked at the forward part of the ball as long as said player was unsuccessful in redefining forward progress.

 

[msudawg12]

the steps

 

[8dog]

I guess i could have read the rule. Fwd progress stops when a players advance toward his opponents goal ends. I guess they deem pulling the ball back as no longer advancing