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Expert: Victor Winnek - 11/2/2009


Question
if a team is driving to the endzone and lets say they are on the 10 yard line,if the reciever haqs two feet in the endzone and the defender pushes him from behind forcing him to catch the ball on the outside of the endzone but still in bounds is it a touchdown.so if the ball doesnt cross the plane but the reciever cathchs it with his two feet in the endzone is it a touchdown

Answer
Frank
The ball must cross the plane of the goalline in player possession for there to be a touch down.

In your fact pattern "ball doesn't cross the plane but the receiver catch it with his two feet in the endzone".  This is not a touch down.
Victor Winnek
NCAA Football Official

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Victor Winnek

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I answer questions related to: Football Officiating; NCAA & Federation Rules; History of Football; Football Officiating - Mechanics (2,3,4,5,7 man); NCAA Rules & High School Rules; Player Safety, Issues of liability arising from injuries, workers compensation, discrimination of officials, Standard of Care; Serve as an Consultant and Expert Witness in Football Related Matters. History of the Game. Instructor of officials. I do not answer questions as to what position a person should play or what their chances are ...

Experience

24 years officiating High School & College football, NCAA Referee, Line Judge, Head Linesman; 2 years Arena Football-substitution official; Instructor of NCAA & Federation Officials, Member of the Board of Directors CFOA-Long Beach & South Bay Units, Pres. of Executive Council of Calif. Football Officials Assoc.; CIF Presidents' Council on Officiating; Chairman of the Officiating Ethics Committee; Played prep & college football; coached High School football; Athletic trainer

Organizations
President of Calif. Football Officials Assoc.; Western Collegiate Football Officials Assoc.; CFOA-Long Beach Unit

Publications
Referee Magazine; California Football Officials Assoc. Instructor's Guide; NCAA Div. 1-AA football officials clinic; CFOA instrutional materials; UWLA Law Review Answers are for educational and information purposes only and may not be reprinted, reporduced or used in any: articles, blogs, research, news story or republished in any fashion without the expressed permission and consent of the under signed.

Education/Credentials
BA USC 1987
JD UWLA School of Law 1996
3 Years Reno Football Officials Clinic Big 12 Mini Clinic
4 Years UCLA Football Officials Camp
24 years of instruction in Officiating Football


Awards and Honors
9 Bowl games, NCAA Div. 1 FCS; CIF State Championship, 9 years CIF Finals, 10 years CIF Semi-finals, 17 years of CIF play-offs.
NCAA Div. III Semi-Finals I will not dignify rude or disparaging comments with a response. I also will not entertain questions that use profanity. Football officials don't seek to “screw” any team Such an insinuation is ridiculous and ludicrous.

Past/Present Clients
If you have NFL question I suggest you contact NFL experts here on AllExperts.com or Mike Pereira on Wed. Afternoons at 1PM EST/10AM PST http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/page/Mike-Pereira-FOX-NFL-Rules-Analyst I work with Mike at FoxSports on Sundays in the Control Center explaining rules and officiating

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