NFL Pass Completions and Yards: A Detailed Explanation
The NFL, known for its intricate rules and standardized practices, often puzzles new fans and even seasoned experts with specific scenarios during games. One such scenario involves the measurement of passing yards when a touchdown is scored from the opponent's one-yard line. This article aims to clarify common misconceptions surrounding this topic and provide a comprehensive understanding of how NFL scoring and yardage work.
Understanding NFL Scoring: Touchdowns and Yards
A common question that often arises is whether a pass for a touchdown, starting within the opponent's one-yard line, adds one yard or zero yards to the total passing yards. For clarity, let's explore the rules as they are officially defined by the National Football League (NFL).
The NFL measures touchdown passes and passing yards based on a simple yardage system. If a quarterback throws a touchdown pass, and the receiver completes the catch within the end zone, it counts as a 6-point touchdown.
Key Rules: Passing and Touchdown Scoring
1. Total Passing Yards: The NFL counts total passing yards based on the distance the ball is thrown from the line of scrimmage to the point of catch, regardless of where on the field the touchdown is completed.
2. Touchdown Precision: For touchdown completions, the ball does not need to cross the one-yard line to be considered a touchdown. The scoring rule is straightforward: if the ball is caught in the end zone, it's a touchdown, regardless of the initial position from which it was thrown.
3. Measurement Method: The NFL does not measure yards in units smaller than a yard. This means that even if a pass is made from just inches away from the one-yard line, the official record will indicate it as one yard.
Historical Examples: One-Yard Line Scenarios
Several memorable examples illustrate how the NFL measures passing yards from the one-yard line.
Example 1: Derrick Henry and Tony Dorsett's 99-Yard Touchdowns These players are known for running touchdowns inside the one-yard line, but the NFL's official records would still reflect these as 99-yard runs, not breaking down into smaller increments like feet or inches.
Example 2: The One-Inch Line Scemario If a pass was thrown from the opponent's one-inch line and the receiver catches it inches away from the goal line, the touchdown is officially recorded as one yard, with the passing yards measured from where the ball was originally thrown to the point of catch.
Official Documentation and Record Keeping
The NFL maintains meticulous records and ensures that every play, including touchdown completions, is accurately documented. This means that even the most precise measurements, such as those on the one-inch line, are rounded up to the nearest yard.
For the purposes of statistics and records, the one-yard line is the threshold below which the NFL does not measure in smaller increments. Hence, any touchdown completed within the end zone from the one-inch line or even inches from the one-yard line would be recorded as a one-yard pass completion.
Conclusion
Understanding how the NFL measures and records passing yards, especially in scenarios involving the one-yard line, is crucial for both new and seasoned fans. The official rules are standardized to ensure consistency and fairness in game stats and records. Whether it's a catch from the one-yard line or the one-inch line, the touchdown is always officially recorded as crossing the one-yard line, making passing yardage calculations straightforward and uniform.