I actually like the rule. From the surface it seems unproportionally unfair to the offense, however when you look at how the end zone is treated compared to the rest of the field at play it begins to make sense.
My biggest rule issue regarding the endzone is this:
1) Ball carrier is grabbed at the 1 yard line by a defender, before the whistle blows, the ball carrier reaches out, the nose of the ball breaks the plane of the goal line, and it is ruled that the ball is in the endzone and is a touchdown.
2) Punt is bouncing towards the endzone, it hits on the 2 yard line and bounces into the endzone. A gunner dives from the 1 yard line, catches the ball in the air about 3 yards deep in the endzone, tosses it over his head before hitting the ground to a teammate standing on the 1 yard line. The ball is ruled down on the 1.
Why is the ball considered "in the end zone" in one case, but not in the other?