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Topic: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Topic: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

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OhioCatFan
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Location: Athens, OH
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When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 12/31/2014 10:13:43 PM

I was discussing this question with my son. I told him that I didn't remember them in the end zones back when I was in school in the 1960s, but I wasn't too sure about their presence or absence. I certainly don't remember as many players lunging for the corner of the end zone for TDs as today. I assume that some learned football expert on this board will be able to tell me the exact year they started putting pylons in the end zone. I did several web searches and could not find the answer, so I know BA will not let me down! ;-)

Last Edited: 12/31/2014 10:14:13 PM by OhioCatFan

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

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L.C.
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 12/31/2014 10:25:45 PM

Perhaps someone heard a garbled voice say "You must construct additional pylons", and they were created.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

ts1227
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 12/31/2014 11:29:08 PM

There were flags planted in the corners before pylons, correct? I guess it would go back to when was something put there in general, and when did they go to the foam weebles we have today.

Last Edited: 12/31/2014 11:29:27 PM by ts1227

OhioCatFan
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 1/1/2015 1:00:04 AM

ts1227 wrote:

There were flags planted in the corners before pylons, correct? I guess it would go back to when was something put there in general, and when did they go to the foam weebles we have today.

I do seem to remember the flags. I had forgotten about them. So, I guess you are right, the question needs to be reformulated to be when did the put any kind of upright marker in the corner of the end zone. Thanks for your contribution. Now, BAers, your assignment is getting refocused. Don't let me down! ;-)

Pataskala
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 1/2/2015 12:25:13 PM

I couldn't find anything where flags or pylons were officially adopted. The earliest I've found where flags were used is the 1961 Orange Bowl game: http://footage.framepool.com/en/shot/243569419-missouri-t...

And here's a video from the 1975 Pitt-WVU game where pylons were used (you can see someone picking one up after the FG):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4thYj0FfJjo

Last Edited: 1/2/2015 12:29:30 PM by Pataskala

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OhioCatFan
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 1/2/2015 5:17:23 PM

Thanks, Pataskala. You've certainly uncovered some good evidence. It looks like we are getting very close to the answer. I suppose,though,that there was a specific date that a requirement for flags in the corners was written into the NCAA rules. I doubt that schools just adopted this on their own in a willy nilly basis.

1stInConvo
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 1/6/2015 11:11:25 AM

1966 is the answer, at least for college football. All four corners of the end zone.

OhioCatFan
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 1/6/2015 3:29:27 PM

Thanks, 1stinConvo. Where did you find this elusive information? Or, was it locked in your steel trap memory? ;-)

The Optimist
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 1/6/2015 6:56:28 PM

Maybe Tettleton got called for a safety against Buffalo last year because a pylon fell over?

I've seen crazier things happen.

1stInConvo
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 1/7/2015 9:14:11 PM

I Googled "goal line pylon history."
I remembered that it had to be during my time at Ohio because Jack Rhoads talked about it in officiating class. The concept was that the goal line extends inbounds to the outside of the sideline, while every other yard line only extends inbounds to the inside of the sideline.

The other weird placement call is when the ball is coming out of the end zone versus going into the end zone. I am not sure what the current interpretation is but I do recall that it was that if an offensive player is attempting to get out of his own end zone, as long as any part of the ball crosses the "back" edge of the goal line is it out of the end zone. I do not think I have ever seen an offensive player, trying to avoid a safety, reach out and hit the pylon with the ball. It must be in the rules interpretations on how to call that.

OhioCatFan
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 1/7/2015 9:26:12 PM

1stinConvo, when did you take Jack Rhodes class? I wonder if I might have been in the same class. I think I took it the spring of 1964. The one thing that I remember most was that fact that Professor Rhodes was the chairman of the Ohio High School Rules Committee in football. Therefore, he could be completely wrong in his interpretation of a particular rule, but he would actually be correct because his word was the rule. I also remember all of the examples citing Pudunk High School. Seems those guys who played for PUdunk always got into thorny rules situations! ;-) I salute your internet search skills. I tried for a half hour to find the answer before I posted the question.

1stInConvo
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 1/7/2015 9:56:41 PM

I took the class in the winter of the 69-70 year. He was great! I recall he always loved to cite the "official's" discretion rule in the rulebook. The one where he said if he wanted to keep the game clock running in snowstorm in a 50 point blowout he would inform the coaches and do it, because he could!

He also graded MAC officials and he loved to point out mistakes that the previous game officials had made. Multiple penalties during one play, especially if a change of possession occurred were his favorites as I recall.

Got my official card and planned to start calling games the next fall, but Ohio hired me and I stayed on the SID side of the field of college sports.

Yes, he wrote the Ohio HS rule book and maybe the National Federation one as well, but I am not sure about that. He was a treasure and was an excellent teacher.

For you youngsters out there, this was the time you had to take a PE class, and coaches taught at least one class too. Nothing like crab soccer to help round out your education, or bowling. Al Hart's training class was enjoyable too, and of course if you took baseball from Bob Wren, or basketball from Jim Snyder you were learning from Hall of Famers. Took anatomy from Fritz, another really smart guy.

I love the Bobcats but have grown fairly distant from the school over the years. Maybe it was just that what followed those experiences could never be topped. I have a photo of my first year in the athletic department with Wren, Snyder, Hess, Houska, McComb, Gilders, Rohr, etc. Along with the Reese Cup and about six MAC title trophies. In today's world that would make any P5 school proud, let alone a G5 one. Thanks for the opportunity to remember those days.

OhioCatFan
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RE: When did they first put pylons in the corners of the end zones in college football?

Posted: 1/7/2015 11:17:55 PM

1stInConvo wrote:

. . . I recall he always loved to cite the "official's" discretion rule in the rulebook. The one where he said if he wanted to keep the game clock running in snowstorm in a 50 point blowout he would inform the coaches and do it, because he could!

Yes, I remember him calling this "the elastic rule of the official," which meant that in a situation not covered by the rule book the official could just make up an appropriate rule on the spot. One example that he gave, which he said in a way that made you think he'd actually done this in a game, went like this: a player is running down the sidelines with no player on the other team anywhere near him, a player on the bench jumps out and tackles the guy with the ball. YOu call a TD, even though the ball never came close to crossing the goal line. If Tom McCabe and the booth review official had taken this class, I think we would not have had a four-yard-line safety sustained on review.

1stInConvo wrote:

Multiple penalties during one play, especially if a change of possession occurred were his favorites as I recall.

Yes, that was true when I took the class, too. He would give you some real difficult situations to try and figure out. This class was no "mickey" as we used to say back in the day.

1stInConvo wrote:

Got my official card and planned to start calling games the next fall, but Ohio hired me and I stayed on the SID side of the field of college sports.

My situation was somewhat similar. I went into the Navy shortly afterwards. My card (both football and basketball) was kept active during my active duty time since all I had to do was renew it each year. Once I came back to school, I was required to attend various clinics to keep my licenses active, but I met a girl (now my wife) and I got involved in other activities and interests and my card lapsed.

1stInConvo wrote:

Yes, he wrote the Ohio HS rule book and maybe the National Federation one as well, but I am not sure about that. He was a treasure and was an excellent teacher.

Yes, I agree totally.

1stInConvo wrote:

I love the Bobcats but have grown fairly distant from the school over the years.

Time to come back. When did you last attend a game in person.

1stInConvo wrote:

Maybe it was just that what followed those experiences could never be topped. I have a photo of my first year in the athletic department with Wren, Snyder, Hess, Houska, McComb, Gilders, Rohr, etc. Along with the Reese Cup and about six MAC title trophies. In today's world that would make any P5 school proud, let alone a G5 one. Thanks for the opportunity to remember those days.

Yes that was an awesome group of coaches with an excellent AD. Right now, though, I think with Phillips, Solich, Boldon, etc., I think we may be headed for a second OHIO golden age. As I said, this is a great time to come back. YOu'd be welcomed with open arms.

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