What is a touchdown/breaking the plane?

CFL Talk
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A Lions player once told me this and it is worth repeating. He said:
The goal line is a one foot stripe running across the field in the end zone. The leading edge is on the field side. Now, imaging imaginary magical lights .0001 of an inch in diameter. Theses lights are lined up side by each on the edge of the goal line on the field side. What makes them magical is that they shine through anything except a football. If one light goes out that is a touchdown.

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I’d like to get some of those magic lights for my deck!

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Exactly. If even just a sliver of the ball crosses over the field side of that big fat white line it’s considered to have “crossed the plane” and entered the end zone.

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“ Big fat white line”…. There’s a joke somewhere there.

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It’s not just the ball impedes the line, you also need sensor on the players elbows, knees, hips and any other body parts, they could deam the body is down prior to the ball impedes the line. Now imagine every player has to have different sensors so they know who is in control of the ball when it impedes the line. Everytime the ball crosses the line on a pass, it would registeras a TD… Hmm and the kickers complained about the chipped balls.

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Excellent explanation. To me, the phrase “breaking the plain” implies the ball completely crossing all of the white line.
Now I know this is not the case :grinning:.

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What is breaking the plane of the goal line?

In all gridiron codes, the touchdown is scored the instant the ball touches or “breaks” the plane of the front of the goal line (that is, if any part of the ball is in the space on, above, or across the goal line) while in the possession of a player whose team is trying to score in that end zone.

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It’s da plane boss, da plane.

I have changed the title so as not to mislead.

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Thanks Jon: I thought the spelling might be wrong.

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It would be more gentlemanly of everyone to just accept the referee’s call or a video replay. After all, it’s only a game. Save your stress for loss of your cell phone or credit rating.

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I do appreciate the game called on the field, I was mearly pointing out that just because the ball crosses the line, doesn’t mean it’s a TD. I’m happy the command center has stepped back from overreaching and inserting themselves at will.

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How about they use imaginary sensors just like the lights

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Albeit a good idea in principle, it would be near impossible to know where the body was, IE: elbows, knees or even a loose ball etc. when the ball crosses the plane. I still like a bit of old school in my football…I can’t stand the magical Imaginary blue and yellow scrimmage & first down lines that appear on screen.

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Simply because I can never see the side lines and the sticks on a TV broadcast I love the yellow super imposed line. It’s not like being at a game when you can see everything you like, follow the paly and players as you like.

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A couple of futuristic solutions from over a decade ago

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Nano bots is the answer. Cover the players (except for the hands and feet) and the field with them and program them to return home when the game is done. :smile: 50 years is my prediction.

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I hear what you’re saying, but long before artificial imposed lines, one needed to pay attention to the game, if so you knew the approximate yardline the ball carrier had to achieve. Today I find myself becoming less attentive to the play while watching for the play to surpass that pretty imaginary imposed line on the field. I truly miss that ol’ days of gridiron football.

EDIT to add more content:
Due to the to the imposed yellow first down line marker, my darling wife who never watches sports, will occasionally lift her eyes from her device and say first down, was that the Bombers?

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My wife wishes they could superimpose the yellow line at the stadium…

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