OT: I am confused with a rule!

[Wolfpack]

We all know what happened with Calvin Johnson in week one!

Well, I was just watching the highlights of the Lions - Rams game from last Sunday, and Johnson catches as TD pass as he is falling. While on the ground, he throws one of the refs the ball!

How is this different! He didn't come up with the ball!

NFL Game Center: St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions - 2010 Week 5 - About 1:05 in!

The difference in the 2 plays is whether or not the ball touches the ground. If the WR has full possession and control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground, he has to maintain full possession and control all the way through. Against the Bears, Johnson caught the ball and had full possession, but as he was rolling over the ball touched the ground and he lost control on the way up.

In the Rams highlight, Johnson is on the ground when he makes the catch, but the ball itself never touched the ground. So you don't have to carry and maintain possession of the ball all the way through.

Supposedly the competition committee is going to look at the rule and maybe make changes. But they've been tinkering with it for over a decade now and even if they change it, sooner or later something else will happen where people complain about the rules not being fair.

 

[Wolfpack]

Sorry, but that is a CATCH and a TD. He had 4 points of contact with the ground before the ground caused the fumble. And he had total control of the ball until the ground caused it. Which it's not supposed to be able to do. And, had it not been in the endzone, he probably would have been ruled down by contact as well.

Sorry, but you're wrong. Sure the ground cannot cause a fumble but it can cause an incompletion (and actually the ground can cause a fumble if the player isn't down by contact but since that isn't what happened here, we'll set that aside). As he rolled over in the end zone the ball touched the ground. If it touches the ground and he maintains possession, it is a catch. If it touches the ground and he loses possession, it is an incompletion.

 

[Wolfpack]

I understand the people arguing the letter of the law, but to argue that SHOULD NOT be a catch regardless if there were even any rules... that I can never agree with.

If someone were to know no NFL rules and watch that play, I'd expect 100 out of 100 to say that it should be a TD.

And if someone didn't know the rules and saw the Tom Brady tuck rule play, they would say it was a fumble 100 times out of 100.

But since NFL games are officiated by people who do know the rules, the rules are going to be followed.

 

[emoney_33]

And if someone didn't know the rules and saw the Tom Brady tuck rule play, they would say it was a fumble 100 times out of 100.

But since NFL games are officiated by people who do know the rules, the rules are going to be followed.

I agree.

But "going to be followed" isn't black and white.

 

[g-fresh]

I agree.

But "going to be followed" isn't black and white.

What does that even mean? I for one want the refs to follow the rules all the time, thats their job.