The catch in the Giants Patriots game

[dolphins4life]

^^^^

Fairness doesn't always apply in rules, the question I was asking is, was it the correct call?

[Phishfan]

Asking the same question repeatedly is not changing the answer. Pretty much all parties say the call was made as the rule is written. That should end the discussion of that particular question.

[dolphins4life]

So no touchdown, correct call.

Now about the clock management, I will have to check the play-by-play summary.

More on that later.

[MikeO]

It was the right call. And the rule is pretty simple now. Have to have control of the ball when going to the ground. Not that hard to understand.

Do I like the rule, no. But it is easy to understand

[Brian Fein]

It was the right call. And the rule is pretty simple now. Have to have control of the ball when going to the ground. Not that hard to understand.

What if the player never "goes to the ground" (gets tackled)?

[Spider-Dan]

Ultimately, I agree with the call and said so as I watched it live.

But I think it's silly to say that it's obviously an incompletion and to say otherwise is trolling.

[fyo]

What if the player never "goes to the ground" (gets tackled)?

Without looking the rule up, I'm pretty sure it says "in the process of going to the ground". Obviously, if the refs judge that a player is i"n the process of going to the ground", then losing the ball for any reason before that makes it an incomplete catch.

[MikeO]

What if the player never "goes to the ground" (gets tackled)?

They have to secure the football, that ball was never secured

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Two different issues:

1) If you think that under the current rules that was a TD than you don't know football.

2) If you agree that under the current rules that wasn't a touch down, but think the rules ought to be changed so it would be a TD.  Then you are advocating for rule changes that are going to make the game even more offense friendly. Is that what you want?  Most football fans hold the view that the game has already shift too much in favor of the offense and the defense doesn't have a fair chance.  But there are some football fans that do like higher scoring games and would like to see it continue.

[Brian Fein]

I just think it undermines the spirit of the game if a defender can come 5 seconds later and knock the ball out of his hands and they act as if he didn't catch the ball.  There is no time element defined in the rule book of HOW LONG the player must possess the ball.  The term "Secured" is relative since Odell Beckham could consider that two hands firmly on the ball = "secured"

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I just think it undermines the spirit of the game if a defender can come 5 seconds later and knock the ball out of his hands and they act as if he didn't catch the ball.  There is no time element defined in the rule book of HOW LONG the player must possess the ball.  The term "Secured" is relative since Odell Beckham could consider that two hands firmly on the ball = "secured"

So if that had been in the field of play you would have ruled it a fumble and a free ball that the could have been recovered by the defense instead of incomplete?  

If that is the case might as well just treat all forward passes under the same live ball rules as a lateral -- would make for a very exciting game.  

[Phishfan]

I just think it undermines the spirit of the game if a defender can come 5 seconds later and knock the ball out of his hands and they act as if he didn't catch the ball. 

Exaggeration is not going to help your case at all.

[Spider-Dan]

So if that had been in the field of play you would have ruled it a fumble and a free ball that the could have been recovered by the defense instead of incomplete?

One of Brian's main points is that when that did happen in the field of play (with AJ Green), it WAS ruled a fumble that was recovered by the defense.

[masterfins]

Isn't the subjective part of the rule "the receiver must make a football move"

[Brian Fein]

Isn't the subjective part of the rule "the receiver must make a football move"

They got rid of the "football move" language a couple years ago because no one ever defined what a "football move" is.