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OT: the NFL's process rule


Dungeon Yankee

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Pretty much the rule is that the receiver has to maintain possession after going to the ground. It makes some sense. How well do you actually have possession if the ball pops out?

he had possession of the ball after his body(knee) hit the ground. it was only after the ball hit the ground that it came out. but the replay clearly showed he had total control of the ball until the ball hit the ground. i just think it's a bad rule, especially how it applied to this situation
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Pretty much the rule is that the receiver has to maintain possession after going to the ground. It makes some sense. How well do you actually have possession if the ball pops out?

Dude caught the ball across the plane of the goal line and landed two feet in bounds. That says catch to me. Watch the video and you will agree.
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Dude caught the ball across the plane of the goal line and landed two feet in bounds. That says catch to me. Watch the video and you will agree.

According to the rule it's not a catch even though it does look like one. While making a catch and going to the ground, he needed to maintain control of the ball after hitting the ground, which he didn't do.

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According to the rule it's not a catch even though it does look like one. While making a catch and going to the ground, he needed to maintain control of the ball after hitting the ground, which he didn't do.

That is a bogus rule then. If that play was correctly called, the rule needs to change and include some common sense.

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I thought the ground could not cause a fumble?

To me, this adds another layer of BS to the call. He clearly had control the whole time- ball crossing the plane, 2 feet down, knee down, etc.- and the ball didn't pop out until it had touched the ground. Insane, illogical, disappointing call, and the Lions got hosed and have every right to be furious.

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Ok I didn't see the game yesterday, but I saw the highlights (lowlights) today at lunch. Holy crap what an awful call. The official 5 feet from it called it a touchdown as the play happened and then later it changed. Terrible job. What if he had just spiked the ball after his knee hit the ground in the end-zone--would that be an incomplete? He completely had control of the ball--both feet landed--and then he went to the ground. His knee, as well as his hip hit the ground and he still had totla control of the ball. The play is dead there--he can punt the ball into the stands afterward. The play was exactly as if he caught the ball and then started to run with it--which he essentially what he did by having both feet down and then he was tackled 10 yards down the field--the play is over once his knee hits. Since it was the end zone it should have been over the instant his second foot hit while he had control. Again, if he were right on the sideline, caught the ball, and tippy-toed inside the line and then hopped out of bounds--which we have seen hundreds of times--it is a touchdown. Catch the ball cleanly and get both feet in--touchdown. Period. Ridiculous, awful call. I feel bad for Detroit as no one outside of perhaps the Rams needs a victory more. They kept saying the process--he wasnt making another move--the defender bumped into him and caused him to fall after the play was over. Even then he held on to the ball well after he had made contact with the ground.

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while i have seen the play and imo it was good enough of a catch, i also can see the ruling if you read the actual rule.

to quote Mike Pereira, who was the NFL's Vice President of Officiating from 2004-09, having spent the five seasons previous to that as the league's Director of Officiating. He also served as an NFL game official when he acted as side judge for two seasons (1997-98).

"But even after Johnson came down with both feet in bounds, as he hit the ground, the ball popped loose and the ruling on the field was an incomplete pass, which was the correct call.

The booth review by the replay assistant confirmed the ruling and the play stood as called on the field.

Here's why: Rule 8, Section 1, Article 4.

A play from start to finish is a process. When you go to the ground, even after you've caught the ball, you have to maintain possession.

The rule states: If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete."

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Pereira-explains-big-call-in-Detroit-Lions-Chicago-Bears-game-091210

it is a stupid rule. as i said earlier in the thread, this compared to the mel gray catch vs the redskins in the 70's is miles more of a catch.

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Yeah, that doesn't make it any better. Plus, it completely contradicts about 4 other rules that outline possesion. I read an article this morning that somehow I can not find now. The sportswriter lists I think 4 rules in the rule book and explains how each and everyone of these conditions were met on the play. I wish I could find it, but I guess it doesn't matter. I'll keep looking.

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he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground,

For how long?

i would think until it demonstratively proves that the receiver caught the ball.

the fact that johnson caught the ball with one hand and then landed on the ball in his hand and dropped it as he was rolling up imo gave the refs cause to enforce the rule.

had he gotten up and taken a step and then spiked/dropped the ball or then dropped it i think nothing would have been said. that said, i thought the receiver's immediate reaction showed he caught the ball as there was no instinct to try to hold on etc. that is a natural instinct any person would have done imo if they indeed lost the handle on that catch.

p.s. joe, did you see the thumping your daughter's college put on my daughter's college in football saturday? ugly game by the looks of the box score from rose's viewpoint. :D

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to quote Mike Pereira, who was the NFL's Vice President of Officiating from 2004-09, having spent the five seasons previous to that as the league's Director of Officiating. He also served as an NFL game official when he acted as side judge for two seasons (1997-98).

"But even after Johnson came down with both feet in bounds, as he hit the ground, the ball popped loose and the ruling on the field was an incomplete pass, which was the correct call.

After watching the replay a 1,000 times today, I disagree with Pereira's recollection. The ball didn't pop out as he hit the ground. He put 2 hands on it, was bumped by a defender while in mid-air, maintained complete control after being bumped, fell to the ground and had his hip/legs touch the ground, still had control, then put his other hand down (the one with the ball) and the ball popped out.

The booth review by the replay assistant confirmed the ruling and the play stood as called on the field.

Here's why: Rule 8, Section 1, Article 4.

A play from start to finish is a process. When you go to the ground, even after you've caught the ball, you have to maintain possession.

The rule states: If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete."

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Pereira-explains-big-call-in-Detroit-Lions-Chicago-Bears-game-091210

Seems to me, he did everything the rule required.

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