Dirrty Bear
Cheesehead
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2012
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 0
Agree.Bear,
Possession when landing is not the issue here. It's about control and who got it first. Stop me when you disagree:
1. Jennings got two hands on the ball. Tate had one.
Agree.2. Jennings pulled the ball to his chest. Tate had his hand between the ball and Jennings chest. His right hand was on Jennings right arm.
Disagree. Tate had both hands on the ball clearly before Jennings landed two feet.3. Tate landed two feet first about the same time that he got both hands on the ball, which remained in Jennings chest area.
I hope the above described the situation fair and square. Now, as you will see below, the rules don't focus on who touches the ground first. It's all about who controls the ball first. Don't confuse the definition of a catch with the definition of control.
The rulebook is clear (paraphrased below):
1. A catch is made if a player controls the ball and maintains that control through landing on the ground with two feet or body (page 13).
2. Control only requires a firm grasp on the ball. It is only one requirement of a catch. This is mentioned throughout the rulebook within clarifications of various rules (see Article 7, page 13 for an instance).
3. A simultaneous catch is not possible if a player controls the ball before the other. (page 47).
Jennings had control first, and never relenquished control throughout the entire process. Therefore, not only did he invalidate any simultaneous catch claim, but he actually was the only person who caught the ball.
Tate had one hand with control on the ball. You can catch a ball with one hand. Just because Jennings has two doesn't necessarily mean he has "more" control. Where in the rule books does it indicate this? It doesn't. It's a judgement call. His other hand established control AND by touching both feet, established possession BEFORE Jennings touched two feet. So who really caught it? Answer: It's not 100% clear. Ergo, simultaneous catch. The league agrees. Period. End of story.