Please explain the touchdown pass catching rules

[thebandit27]

I think his head was out but the ball was lying in bounds against his still inbounds leg, i.e. the ball was not touching an oob object but a oob player who was in no condition to attempt a recovery or purposefully touch the ball. I thought the rule was misapplied much like the initial George Brett pine tar ruling.

 

Nope--the rule was applied correctly. If a player is touching OOB, and the ball touches that player, then the ball is dead.

[The Wiz]

LOL, I remember the Bills losing a key fumble recovery against the Pats because a Pats player was knocked out with a foot out of bounds. The refs gave the ball to New England and they won in OT. Think that was 2004 at home. Anyone remember that?

I remember it happening to buffalo against the jets in 2008.

[JESSEFEFFER]

 

Nope--the rule was applied correctly. If a player is touching OOB, and the ball touches that player, then the ball is dead.

I was looking for the language that covers this but have found this which covers the Little endzone play which seems to be what I was wanting in the rule. The defenders should not be allowed the opportunity to make a defensive play after the play has met the criteria for being over although I would want the same for plays not in the endzone. I don't see how a defender could be allowed to have a post whistle chance to defend.

 

"Item 3. End Zone Catches. The requirements for a catch in the end zone are the same as the requirements for a catch in the field of play.

Note: In the field of play, if a catch of a forward pass has been completed, after which contact by a defender causes the ball to become loose before the runner is down by contact, it is a fumble, and the ball remains alive. In the end zone, the same action is a touchdown, since the receiver completed the catch beyond the goal line prior to the loss of possession, and the ball is dead when the catch is completed."

Edited August 24, 2016 by JESSEFEFFER

[What a Tuel]

 

Nope--the rule was applied correctly. If a player is touching OOB, and the ball touches that player, then the ball is dead.

 

That really bugs me. Everywhere else they stress possession and "football moves" but in this one, welp it grazed the player, blow it dead! Why? So dumb.

 

As for the catch, well in my opinion it breaks down to this:

 

A WR can catch a ball clean take as little as two steps in the endzone and go out of bounds without making any football move. That's a TD.

 

The defender was not contesting the ball enough to consider the ball bobbling or moving, so I would argue it is a clean catch.

 

So why isn't this stopped at this point? If all the WR needs is those two steps and a clean catch, then why are we talking about football moves? Because he dropped it? Ok why did he drop it?

 

Well he dropped it because while he was rolling over out of bounds the defender knocked it out. Why is this relevant? His knees were down, he had full control of the ball all the way prior, this knocking the ball out of his hands at the end is absurd. He had complete control of the ball all the way up to that point where in any other part of the field, he would be considered down by contact.

 

Can we get a GIF of that part? I think you guys will see what I am getting at.

Edited August 24, 2016 by What a Tuel