As a general rule, the position of the ball in relation to the goal line is always reviewable by instant replay.
Dead Ball and Loose Ball
ARTICLE 3.Reviewable plays involving potential dead balls and loose balls include:
a. Loose ball by a potential passer ruled a fumble.
b. Loose ball by a passer ruled incomplete forward pass when there is clear recovery or the ball goes out of bounds in the immediate continuing action after the loose ball.
1. If the replay official does not have indisputable video evidence as to which team recovers, does not have confirmation of the recovery by the officials on the field, or the ball going out of bounds, the ruling of incomplete pass stands.
2. If the replay official rules fumble and the ball is recovered, the ball belongs to the recovering team at the spot of the recovery and any advance is nullified.
c. Live ball not ruled dead in possession of a ball carrier.
d. Loose ball ruled dead (Rule 4-1-2b-2), or live ball ruled dead in possession of a ball carrier, when the clear recovery of a loose ball occurs in the immediate continuing football action.
1. If the ball is ruled dead and the replay official does not have indisputable video evidence as to which team recovers or confirmation of the recovery by the officials on the field, the dead-ball ruling stands.
2. If the replay official rules that the ball was not dead, it belongs to the recovering team at the spot of the recovery and any advance is nullified.
3. If a passer is ruled down or out of bounds prior to throwing a pass and the replay official has indisputable video evidence that the ball was released prior to the dead ball ruling, replay can rule on the immediate continuing action. If the pass is caught by either team, they are awarded possession at that spot with no advance. If the pass is incomplete, the down counts.
e. Ball carrier’s forward progress, spot of fumble, or spot of out-of-bounds backward pass, with respect to a first down or the goal line.
f. Catch or recovery of a fumble by a Team A player other than the fumbler before any change of possession during fourth down or a try.
g. Ball carrier in or out of bounds. If a ball carrier is ruled out of bounds, the play is not reviewable, except as in Rules 12-3-1a and 12-3-3d.
h. Catch, recovery or touching of a loose ball by a player in bounds or out of bounds, or an eligible receiver who had been out of bounds and returned inbounds.
i. A loose ball touching on or beyond a sideline, goal line, or end line, touching a pylon, or breaking the plane of a goal line.
j. Catch or recovery of a loose ball in the field of play or an end zone.
k. Forward fumble that goes out of bounds with respect to a first down.
CFO Bulletin August 2019
Play #5: QB A12 is hit while attempting to throw a forward pass and the Referee rules an incomplete pass. The ball hits the ground and bounces back into Team A's end zone where it goes into a pile of players from both teams that scramble for the ball. The ball is clearly in the end zone. After review, Replay determines that it was clear and obvious that A12 fumbled the ball.
RULING: There is no clear recovery by the defensive team, so a touchdown cannot be awarded. However, the ball is obviously in the end zone where someone recovered while grounded, making the ball dead by rule: safety. The on-field ruling of an incomplete pass is therefore reversed to fumble and a safety.
