By Bill Bradley, contributing editor
A receiver does not have to complete the process of the catch in the end zone in order to score a touchdown, according to NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino.
Speaking during his weekly officiating video for the media, Blandino used San Francisco wide receiver Steve Johnson's touchdown catch during last Sunday's victory over the Philadelphia Eagles as an example.
"If he's breaking the plane (of the end zone) while he' s gaining control and he's initially pushed back -- say out of bounds or back into the field of play where he maintains control of the football -- that's a touchdown," Blandino said. "It's similar to forward progress on the field of play where the receiver catches the ball at the 30-yard line and he's pushed back to the 33. We're going to give him the ball at the 30.
"As long as the ball is breaking the plane of the goal line while he has control of it, and he's forced back into the field of play -- or in this instance back out of bounds outside the end zone -- it would be a touchdown."
Blandino also talked about the 10-second runoff rule within the final minute of a half, looking at last Sunday's Atlanta Falcons-Minnesota Vikings game. He said a replay reversal of a touchdown or first down will result in a 10-second runoff, pointing to a Vikings touchdown that was called back late in the first half.
"The situation is that the ruling on the field is a touchdown and we're going to reverse it to down-by-contact/short of the goal line," he said. "The theory behind this rule (is) ... if the ruling the field was correct initially, and we had the runner down, the clock would continue to run.
"In order to save time, Minnesota would either have to take a timeout or hurry up to the line. The theory behind a 10-second runoff is that it would take 10 seconds for the offense to either hurry up or get a snap or spike or play."
He said if there wasn't a 10-second runoff on such a review, it would be giving the offense an advantage of the clock stopping. He said the runoff only happens after asking the defense if it wants the runoff and then allowing the offense the option of the runoff or taking a timeout.
