# Ballcarriers dropping the football before or just after crossing the goal line **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 30, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294 "2016-09-30T17:33:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/1 "2016-09-30T17:33:20Z")
What’s with this behavior of football players - in NFL and college - dropping the football immediately after crossing the goal line, or in some infamous instances (i.e., DeSean Jackson,) dropping it before breaking the plane of the goal line? Is it too much to ask them to hold on to the thing for just 2 seconds longer? They already went to the trouble of holding it for 10+ seconds to get to the end zone, so surely it can’t be too cumbersome to just hold on until one is indisputably in the end zone. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/2 "2016-09-30T17:37:36Z")
Slate just had an article with [every instance of this](http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2016/09/dropping_the_ball_before_the_end_zone_a_comprehensive_guide.html) the writer could find. Pretty amusing to watch all the videos. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/3 "2016-09-30T19:30:19Z")
They’re trying to show how cool they are. The problem is, they concentrate on being cool and not on crossing the goal line. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/4 "2016-09-30T20:20:33Z")
If I were a football coach and somebody costs us a touchdown like that - their next practice would not be pleasant. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/5 "2016-09-30T20:59:19Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > If I were a football coach and somebody costs us a touchdown like that - their next practice would not be pleasant. I mean, practice, sure. But I’d make them carry around a football for the rest of the game whenever he’s not on the field. Preferably running sprints. Don’t let go of the ball unless it’s to hand it to the ref. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/6 "2016-09-30T21:11:21Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Don’t let go of the ball unless it’s to hand it to the ref. Even that can [get you in trouble](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc6DKtXlAXo). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/7 "2016-09-30T21:55:40Z")
There are several YouTube videos collecting instances of this phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/8 "2016-09-30T22:57:56Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Even that can [get you in trouble](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc6DKtXlAXo). Of course when carrying the ball across the goal line for a touchdown, tossing it to ref once you’re in the endzone would be fine. The ball is dead once it crosses the goal line. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2016, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/9 "2016-10-01T04:36:32Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > If I were a football coach and somebody costs us a touchdown like that - their next practice would not be pleasant. If I were a football coach, chances are that such a player would \*have \*no more future practices. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2016, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/10 "2016-10-01T22:57:37Z")
This isn’t quite the same, because the player did not drop the ball intentionally, but Tennessee player Jalen Hurd sacrificed a touchdown today because he was too casual about getting into the end zone. Rather than tuck the ball in and make sure he scored the touchdown, he pranced in (in the words of the commentator) and had the ball jarred loose by a defender just before the line. His coach was pissed. [Video here.](http://screengrabber.deadspin.com/tennessee-loses-touchdown-after-jalen-hurd-fumbles-into-1787318447) ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/11 "2016-10-03T02:43:04Z")
\ [Jim Marshall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT-NyIr2C9E) {YouTube} \ ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/12 "2016-10-03T16:15:16Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > Of course when carrying the ball across the goal line for a touchdown, tossing it to ref once you’re in the endzone would be fine. The ball is dead once it crosses the goal line. “Tossing” it to an official can be a 15-yard penalty depending on how the official sees the toss - if it’s “showboating,” then it’s unsportsmanlike conduct. The rules say to either hand the ball to an official, or to place (as oppose to spike) it on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ballcarriers-dropping-the-football-before-or-just-after-crossing-the-goal-line/767294/13 "2016-10-03T17:39:45Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > “Tossing” it to an official can be a 15-yard penalty depending on how the official sees the toss - if it’s “showboating,” then it’s unsportsmanlike conduct. I can only think back to that terrible taunting call against Cleveland in week 2.