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Ground can't cause a fumble, but can cause an incompletion - will (1 Viewer)

Will this rule change in the offseason?

  • Yes, major change

    Votes: 13 20.0%

  • Yes but it will be so minor that it won't make a difference.

    Votes: 4 6.2%

  • No, they should change it but they won't

    Votes: 23 35.4%

  • No, they won't change it, the rule should stay

    Votes: 25 38.5%
  • Total voters
    65
They'll probably change the rule this offseason, but it's on the NFL for not changing it years ago after the Calvin Johnson play and waiting for it to ruin a playoff game.

 
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It may be the right call by the letter of the law, but everyone in that stadium knows that Dez caught that ball. Horrible rule that needs to be addressed. And I'm NOT a Cowboy fan ... got many Packer fans in my area.

 
The NFL could avoid a lot of this confusion and uproar by simply better defining what an actual "football move" is.

 
drizzle said:
Grabbed the ball, took three steps and fell down. Don't see how that is an incompletion
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No. He grabbed the ball in the air, came down off-balance, and stumbled three steps while falling. You have to complete the catch through the fall. He failed to do that when the ball came out.

 
zed2283 said:
Tool said:
Juxtatarot said:
If you change the rule people will start complaining about other plays that are ruled a catch and fumble.
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very good point.
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So what? They will be catch fumbles.
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The point is no matter what rule you make about what qualifies as a catch, there will always be rulings that people will complain about. In my opinion, though, erring on the side of incomplete is better than having a bunch of questionable catch and fumble.

 
The ground CAN cause a fumble if the player is not touched by the other team. A player is down by contact in the NFL. Where the ground cannot cause a fumble is if the ball carrier is tackled to the ground such that the ball touches the ground while in his possession and gets jarred loose by the impact of hitting the ground.

The "football move" rule is meant to solve the problem where a receiver just got the ball thrown to him by the QB and is juggling the football in his hands while going out of bounds or about to have the football hit the ground. They have decided that it is not a catch. You have to have the ball firmly in control and in possession and make "a football move" to show you have it.

 
Riversco said:
The ground CAN cause a fumble if the player is not touched by the other team. A player is down by contact in the NFL. Where the ground cannot cause a fumble is if the ball carrier is tackled to the ground such that the ball touches the ground while in his possession and gets jarred loose by the impact of hitting the ground.

The "football move" rule is meant to solve the problem where a receiver just got the ball thrown to him by the QB and is juggling the football in his hands while going out of bounds or about to have the football hit the ground. They have decided that it is not a catch. You have to have the ball firmly in control and in possession and make "a football move" to show you have it.
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The dumb part is that a player going to the ground doesn't really have a chance to make a football move. If a guy catches the ball, takes three steps, reaches to the goaline, and then gets hit and the ball pops out it's a fumble. If a guy catches the ball, takes three stumbles, reaches to the goaline and the ball comes out from the ground it's incomplete.

 
TheCommish said:
It may be the right call by the letter of the law, but everyone in that stadium knows that Dez caught that ball. Horrible rule that needs to be addressed. And I'm NOT a Cowboy fan ... got many Packer fans in my area.
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EVERYONE in that stadium knows it WAS NOT a catch because that's the rule.

 
I don't see why they ever eliminated the idea of steps mattering. If a guy takes 3 steps after fully possessing the ball, how can it end up being incomplete? Shouldn't 3 steps qualify as a football move? What does it matter how in control of your body you are (IE 2 cuts and a juke vs 3 steps while stumbling) in determining the possession of the ball in your hands?

 
But the ground can cause a fumble. Remember when Eli didn't slide instead dove forward and the ground caused a fumble. The ground usually doesn't cause a fumble because once the player hits the ground, he is down more times than not.

 
MaxThreshold said:
TheCommish said:
It may be the right call by the letter of the law, but everyone in that stadium knows that Dez caught that ball. Horrible rule that needs to be addressed. And I'm NOT a Cowboy fan ... got many Packer fans in my area.
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EVERYONE in that stadium knows it WAS NOT a catch because that's the rule.
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Everyone knows it was a catch by an measurable standard other than an absurd NFL rule. If you're playing in your backyard that's a catch. If you're playing in college football or high school football or anywhere else it's a catch. It's only not a catch by some absurd standard created by the NFL that makes no sense. And that absurd standard should be eliminated.

 
So, there are two interpretations here......He didn't complete act of catching the ball as he went to the ground..........OR, he caught it, switched hands, and lunged for the GL, trying to do his best Irvin...........It was called a completion on the field, and then overturned when challenged. The refs didn't think a football move was made, and he didn't complete the full act of catching the ball.

As a Cowboys fan, I'm pissed because it was a great play that is wiped off the books, and had a huge impact on the game. But, the officials reviewed it and concluded what they did. Some calls just don't go your way, some do. Congrats to GB.......I only hope that they change this horrendous rule. Or at least define a "football move" better like Jurb suggested. If there wasn't controversy, we wouldn't be talking about it.

 
FreeBaGeL said:
MaxThreshold said:
TheCommish said:
It may be the right call by the letter of the law, but everyone in that stadium knows that Dez caught that ball. Horrible rule that needs to be addressed. And I'm NOT a Cowboy fan ... got many Packer fans in my area.
Click to expand...
EVERYONE in that stadium knows it WAS NOT a catch because that's the rule.
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Everyone knows it was a catch by an measurable standard other than an absurd NFL rule. If you're playing in your backyard that's a catch. If you're playing in college football or high school football or anywhere else it's a catch. It's only not a catch by some absurd standard created by the NFL that makes no sense. And that absurd standard should be eliminated.
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But there are rules to football and the rule says that's not a catch. They've been calling that for years now. You can't apply your backyard rules and call that a catch.

You can have an issue with the rule, but you can't have an issue with the call - because BY RULE it was the correct call. Who cares what Joe Blow or FreeBaGeL thinks? You have to play by the rules.

 
MaxThreshold said:
FreeBaGeL said:
MaxThreshold said:
TheCommish said:
It may be the right call by the letter of the law, but everyone in that stadium knows that Dez caught that ball. Horrible rule that needs to be addressed. And I'm NOT a Cowboy fan ... got many Packer fans in my area.
Click to expand...
EVERYONE in that stadium knows it WAS NOT a catch because that's the rule.
Click to expand...
Everyone knows it was a catch by an measurable standard other than an absurd NFL rule. If you're playing in your backyard that's a catch. If you're playing in college football or high school football or anywhere else it's a catch. It's only not a catch by some absurd standard created by the NFL that makes no sense. And that absurd standard should be eliminated.
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But there are rules to football and the rule says that's not a catch. They've been calling that for years now. You can't apply your backyard rules and call that a catch.

You can have an issue with the rule, but you can't have an issue with the call - because BY RULE it was the correct call. Who cares what Joe Blow or FreeBaGeL thinks? You have to play by the rules.
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But its not that simple. There are plenty of non-biased people wondering if he made a "football move". I guess you cant switch hands as you're going to the ground and reach for the GL. Dez should have kept it in his right hand.

 
MaxThreshold said:
FreeBaGeL said:
MaxThreshold said:
TheCommish said:
It may be the right call by the letter of the law, but everyone in that stadium knows that Dez caught that ball. Horrible rule that needs to be addressed. And I'm NOT a Cowboy fan ... got many Packer fans in my area.
Click to expand...
EVERYONE in that stadium knows it WAS NOT a catch because that's the rule.
Click to expand...
Everyone knows it was a catch by an measurable standard other than an absurd NFL rule. If you're playing in your backyard that's a catch. If you're playing in college football or high school football or anywhere else it's a catch. It's only not a catch by some absurd standard created by the NFL that makes no sense. And that absurd standard should be eliminated.
Click to expand...
But there are rules to football and the rule says that's not a catch. They've been calling that for years now. You can't apply your backyard rules and call that a catch.

You can have an issue with the rule, but you can't have an issue with the call - because BY RULE it was the correct call. Who cares what Joe Blow or FreeBaGeL thinks? You have to play by the rules.
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You're not saying anything that anyone here doesn't already know. That's why this is a thread about changing the RULE, not changing the CALL.

 
Rule should change...probably won't...or won't be changed enough to matter.

I said it was a stupid challenge in the game thread before I saw the replay of it popped up...I still hate the rule and said I don't know what is a catch anymore.

And that as a Packers fan. We benefited from a dumb rule....still had a chance even had Dallas scored and I liked our chances even with a gimpy Rodgers to tie or win there anyway....but was nice to just be able to run the clock out.

Some rules are just dumb...and this was one of them.

 
FreeBaGeL said:
I don't see why they ever eliminated the idea of steps mattering. If a guy takes 3 steps after fully possessing the ball, how can it end up being incomplete? Shouldn't 3 steps qualify as a football move? What does it matter how in control of your body you are (IE 2 cuts and a juke vs 3 steps while stumbling) in determining the possession of the ball in your hands?
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It was always 2 steps for years and it's been a mess ever since they changed it.

 
voiceofunreason said:
FreeBaGeL said:
I don't see why they ever eliminated the idea of steps mattering. If a guy takes 3 steps after fully possessing the ball, how can it end up being incomplete? Shouldn't 3 steps qualify as a football move? What does it matter how in control of your body you are (IE 2 cuts and a juke vs 3 steps while stumbling) in determining the possession of the ball in your hands?
Click to expand...
It was always 2 steps for years and it's been a mess ever since they changed it.
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Exactly.

 
Instead of crying about the rule maybe wrs should learn how to hold onto the ball.

 
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No particular rooting interest here, just a football fan watching a game, but that was a catch. If that's not due to the rules, then they need to change the rules, but in my view, it was a catch even by the rules. Pitiful really.

 
Bucky86 said:
Watched it again. Those "steps" hardly look like a football move to me.
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So if a guy catches the ball over his shoulder and runs straight ahead for 30 yards and fumbles when he's tripped up at the three it isn't a catch? He never made a football move, he was just running straight ahead.

 
Bucky86 said:
Watched it again. Those "steps" hardly look like a football move to me.
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Agreed. Those "steps" can hardly be called that. He was stumbling and was going down the ground. That isn't a football move in my book.

 
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