Spotting the ball when a runner goes out of bounds

Question
I know that a the ball is spotted at the place where it is when the runner is ruled down.  My question is what if the runner is going for a first down, is near the sideline, knows he can't get it if he turns upfield, and decides to dive, extending his body and the ball, diagonally out of bounds.  His knee makes contact out of bounds behind the sticks, but the outstretched football is beyond the marker when his knee hits.  If this were to occur near the goal line would it be a touchdown even though the ball didn't break the plane between the sidelines?  (I guess for this part of the question I'm asking if the goal line extends to infinity outside the sidelines).  Thanks for your help.

Answer
Mario
Your question has to do woth forward progress.  The question about the goalline extended is that it does extends in infinity outside the sidelines - there are differing philosophies about whether it is a TD and that depends on whether he volunatily went Out of bounds or was contacted by a player and knocked OB or if he is airborne. If the runner is airborne as he goes over the sideline. Forward progress is where the ball crosses the sideline, not where the ball is when the runner first touches out of bounds.  The forward progress spot in your question is the spot where the ball intersects with the sideline.  

With respect to the goalline let me offer this play situation as an example to explain:   A3 runs to the left side of the formation toward the pylon at the sideline/goaline intersection and (a) with his feet still inbounds, extends the ball over the sideline and breaks the plane of the goalline extended. He is then knocked out of bounds by B7 before any part of his body crosses the goalline; or (b) he dives and while totally airborne, the ball breaks the plane of the goalline extended. Ruling: In (a), score the touchdown. In (b), no touchdown. A3 is given forward progress where the official judges the ball crossed the sideline.

The following is taken from my article I have written on the subject of Forward Progress: The forward progress rules are utilized on most every play. However, officials frequently misapply them. The reason officials tend to misjudge this call is because they do not use the ball as their reference point. It is not the position of the runner抯 foot or the runner抯 knee. Rather, it is the position of the forward most point of the ball when the play becomes dead by rule. It is this dead ball spot that determines forward progress.

Under the college rules: Forward progress is a term indicating the end of advancement by the
runner or airborne pass receiver of either team and applies to the position of the ball when it
became dead by rule. (NCAA Rule 2-8-2). Hence, the reference point is the ball. Officials must note the position of the ball when the runner or airborne receiver is no longer moving forward.

Under the high school rules: Forward progress is the end of advancement of a runner toward the
opponent抯 goal and determines the dead ball spot. When an airborne player makes a catch,
forward progress is the furthest point of advancement after he possesses the ball if contacted by a defender. (Federation Rule 2-15-1, 2). Again, the reference point is the position of the ball when the runner is no longer moving forward toward his opponent抯 goal line. The Federation rule reference the 揹ead ball spot?which implies the forward most point of the ball. (2-40-3).
The rule is in part, objective ?not open to interpretation. The official makes an observation and marks the spot at the location determined by the exact instant the ball becomes dead by rule. You see it and go to the spot. Mark the forward tip of the ball if the ball was carried with the length axis of the ball parallel to the sideline. Otherwise mark the forward most part of the ball.

Application of the forward progress rules also requires a subjective approach. This is when
officials are called upon to use their judgment and make a decision that the ball carrier is no
longer advancing toward his opponent抯 goal line. Is the runner moving forward, sideways, or
backward? If the runner抯 momentum is no longer going forward his progress has stopped. If the
runner抯 movement is solely sideways toward the sideline his forward progress has stopped.
Although the rule no longer uses the language: in the grasp of an opponent? philosophically it is implied through tradition. Both high school and college rules deem the ball dead and forward
progress stopped when the ball carries is 揾eld so his (forward advancing) progress is stopped?br> (Federation Rule 4-2-2-a; NCAA Rule 4-1-3-a). NCAA Rule 4-1-3-a states that the ball becomes dead
搘hen the runner is so held that his forward progress is stopped.?Officials must determine if the opponent of the runner has sufficiently held or grasped the runner so as to have stopped his
forward movement. This action is what kills the play not the whistle. A quick whistle can get an
official into trouble, but too much of delayed whistle can also cause problems. A quick whistle
may lead to an inadvertent whistle. A slow whistle may allow for the ball to become loose or a
player to become injured, etc. Therefore, officials must know when the forward movement has
stopped.

A runner who is running sideways and is grasped or held by an opponent is no longer advancing
the ball forward. Likewise, a ball carrier that is being pushed backward by an opponent is no
longer advancing the ball forward and by rule the ball is dead. In situations where a runner is hit, knocked backward but not held in the opponent抯 grasp, the runner may still advance the ball
forward. The reason forward progress is not stopped is because the runner was not grasped. An
airborne receive r who catches the ball and then is driven backward by an opponent and the ball
then declared dead will be awarded the forward progress spot at the place where he received the
pass. When a runner steps out of bounds the forward progress spot is where the ball was when
the runner stepped out of bounds. On plays where the runner/airborne receiver stretched out the
ball (before being downed) at the sideline, the forward progress spot is the foremost point of the ball where it intersects the sideline.

On every play officials must know when the ball becomes dead. For forward progress purposes
the ball becomes dead when: the runner is out of bounds; the runner is held so his forward
progress is stopped; when any part of the runner抯 body other than his hand or foot touches the
ground; inadvertent whistle or when the runner抯 helmet comes off. Additionally, under the
NCAA rules when the airborne pass receiver is so held and subsequently carried and prevented
from returning to the ground.

Marking Forward Progress:
Forward progress is not the point where the runner抯 knee first touches the ground or where the
runner抯 foot goes out of bounds. The reference point is the BALL (usually carried at the
shoulder/chest). Mark forward progress by 搒quaring up?from the sideline and align your
forward foot with the forward most part of the ball. Using common sense, not to give an
advantage to a team, try to start a new series of downs (after a change of possession) on a yard
line. This makes it easier to see the line to gain, measure and march off penalties. Contrary to
some officials?practices, this does not mean you always mark the ball on a yard line for each
down. Mark progress where the ball lies.

There are times when it is extremely difficult to determine with precision where the dead ball
spot is (e.g. run plays up the middle into a pile). In this instance, the officials must watch the runner. See where the ball is being carried (i.e. tucked in one arm at his rib cage, held with both  hands in front chest high, etc.) Reme mber, the ball is not carried at the knees or thigh or at the waist level. Use the runner抯 chest and shoulders as a reference point when you have lost sight of the ball and it is not loose. Mark forward progress by moving parallel to the runner then square up, pinch in as necessary. Indicate the spot by standing with both feet together, using your forward most foot as the mark.

GOALINE EXTENDED
Below is an excellent on-line article that was published a couple years ago that explains the answer to your question as it pertains to the Goal Line Extended:
http://www.east-coast-bias.com/2007/10/plane-of-goal-line.html

Examples:
Runner A1 is advancing towards B抯 goal line and is very near the sideline. (a) A1 advances into B抯 end zone while holding the ball outside the sideline plane; or (b) A1 dives toward the end zone, but is hit by B1 which causes him to land out of bounds beyond the goal-line extended. A1抯 last contact with the ground was short of the goal line. In both cases the ball breaks the
plane of B抯 goal-line extended. RULING: In (a), it is a touchdown because A1 was touching inbounds when the ball broke the plane of the goal-line extended.   However, in (b) since A1 was not touching inbounds and was short of the goal line when he was hit, it is not a touchdown even though the ball did break the goal-line plane extended. The ball is spotted at the inbounds spot on the yard line where the foremost point of the ball crossed the sideline plane when A1 was driven out of bounds.