Just to reiterate what I said earlier.
The ball clearly touches the ground.
I don’t see how anyone can argue that point if they actually watch all the replays available.
And most of the year, that play, had it been challenged, likely would have been overturned.
however the refs have been thoroughly inconsistant when reviewing similar plays.
The rule, as it was changed this year, to allow interpretation of the so-called “bang bang” play, says the player must have control AND SURVIVE CONTACT.
He clearly has control of the ball while in midair.
And he clearly survives contact regardless of whether the ball touches the ground when he impacts the ground.
Had the ball actually come loose, it would have been an incompletion, not a fumble.
But as he catches the ball, and then impacts the ground, maintaining possession, I don’t believe it should/would be overturned upon review.
The question is not “did the ball contact the ground?”, but rather “did contact with the ground cause the ball to come loose?”
And I do not believe the evidence is conclusive that it did.
CATCH / NO CATCH (ON BANG-BANG PLAYS)
RULE REFERENCES
Rule 1 Section 3 defines possession -
* “Possession means having the ball firmly held in hand or hands, arm or arms, leg or legs, or under the body.?
Rule 6 Section 4 Article 6 (e) states that a pass shall be incomplete, if -
* “While in midair a receiver of either team who has firm control of the ball, but loses possession of the ball when that player’s feet or other part of the body hits the ground, with or without contact by an opponent.?
On what is generally referred to as a “bang–bang? play, there are several elements involved in determining whether the pass is to be ruled complete or incomplete.
Typical “bang-bang? plays are:
(a) When a receiver is attempting to catch a pass and either gets contacted quickly by an opponent; or
(b) When a receiver is attempting to catch a pass and falls or is driven to the ground quickly;
* .
For a forward pass to be ruled complete on a bang–bang play, the following needs to occur.
- The player must catch the ball and have it firmly controlled. Control in the air does not equal possession.
2) Possession occurs after he survives contact with an opponent and / or the ground.
FOR 2007
The Catch / No Catch on a “bang–bang? play will be ruled as follows:
For a pass to be ruled complete, the receiver must catch the ball, and have it firmly controlled.
If the ball is quickly jarred loose by contact with an opponent and / or the ground, preventing the player from achieving possession, the pass will be declared incomplete.
The receiver must retain control after “bang-bang? contact to confirm possession.
If a player catches a pass near a sideline, and because of contact by an opponent he cannot get a foot down in bounds (called a Force Out), he must still retain control of the ball once he comes to the ground out of bounds, to confirm possession in order for the pass to be ruled complete.
Note: The old myth that the ground cannot cause a fumble is not completely true.
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If a ball carrier goes to the ground without contact, the ground can cause a fumble
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If a ball carrier goes to the ground after contact by an opponent, he should be ruled down by contact with no fumble.
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In the process of catching a pass before possession has been achieved, if the receiver goes to the ground, the ground can cause an incomplete pass.