Weird sequence at end of first half of Super Bowl V

[Bryan]

I'm watching Super Bowl V, and at the end of the first half the Colts have a 4th and goal on the 2 yard line. Earl Morrall throws incomplete to Tom Mitchell in the end zone, and for some reason Dallas starts with the ball at their own 20. The online play-by-play of the game has Dallas taking over at their own 2, but in the actual game this is not the case. The announcers mention that on a 4th down pass into the endzone, the ball comes out to the 20 yard line. I've never been aware that this was actually a rule (kind of the reverse of the Sammy Baugh goalpost/safety rule)...does anyone have any background on this?

[65 toss power trap]

Sorry for the delayed reply, but an incomplete pass in or through the end zone on fourth down effectively resulted in a touchback. That rule was in effect from 1934 through 1974.

Prior to 1934, any incomplete pass in the end zone was a touchback, but it was revised that year to fourth down incompletions or the second such pass in the same series. Starting in 1935, the defense got the ball at the previous LOS if that spot was outside the 20. As of 1938, the second incomplete pass rule was dropped, and the touchback only applied on fourth down as long as an ineligible didn't touch the pass. Some additional modifications were made in the 1940s to account for the spot in conjunction with a foul assessment, such as offensive pass interference on a 4th down incompletion (essentially the defense gets the best possible spot).

Very unusual rule which I knew of before, but I didn't realize it was in effect that long until I saw it on the Super Bowl V broadcast.

[Bryan]

Sorry for the delayed reply, but an incomplete pass in or through the end zone on fourth down effectively resulted in a touchback. That rule was in effect from 1934 through 1974.

Prior to 1934, any incomplete pass in the end zone was a touchback, but it was revised that year to fourth down incompletions or the second such pass in the same series. Starting in 1935, the defense got the ball at the previous LOS if that spot was outside the 20. As of 1938, the second incomplete pass rule was dropped, and the touchback only applied on fourth down as long as an ineligible didn't touch the pass. Some additional modifications were made in the 1940s to account for the spot in conjunction with a foul assessment, such as offensive pass interference on a 4th down incompletion (essentially the defense gets the best possible spot).

Very unusual rule which I knew of before, but I didn't realize it was in effect that long until I saw it on the Super Bowl V broadcast.

Thanks! Seems like they put a lot of thought into and made a lot of revisions to a rule that doesn't really make much sense in the first place. Typical NFL.

[Jay Z]

In the 1961 NFL Championship Game, the Giants also had a play of this nature when a fourth down option pass by Bob Gaiters fell incomplete. It was their best chance to score in the 37-0 rout.

[JohnH19]

What's even stranger is that the Colts didn't elect to kick a chip shot FG which would have made the score 13-9 at the half.