I’d argue Sanders only began “going to the ground” after he secured the ball, tucked it, and turned upfield with both feet on the ground, though. How far would Sanders have had to run to no longer be considered “going to the ground”? And even though James was “going to the ground,” he met also the criteria for… Read more

I haven’t said the “going to the ground” rule should apply. I’ve been arguing the exact opposite whenever the receiver secures the ball with both feet on the ground, turns upfield, and (in this case) tucks it. That’s what the make-himself-a-runner rules say. Sanders only began falling after all that happened, same as… Read more

To my eyes that’s a catch and a fumble. Sanders turned upfield and took two whole steps with the ball tucked and lost it before he hit the ground. He made himself a runner, according to the rules. This is the problem: The league keeps interpreting rules in ways that don’t align with what the rule book says. Read more

But that’s not logical in this case. That’s what gets me. Read more

Yes. This comes down to knowing what looks like a catch and what doesn’t.
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Not following. What plays like this have happened once a week for the last two years? Read more

You can if you notice how contradictory the rule really is. Again: If James wasn’t capable of turning upfield with the ball in his hands, how he did he go from securing the ball outside the 1-yard line with his back to the end zone to getting the ball across the plane?

No, I’ve distilled it down to what the definition of becoming a runner actually says, which is this (emphasis mine): Read more

Emanuel would not have caught the ball had it popped out when he hit the ground because that would have been instantaneous to the contact he made with the ground. He really only had one foot touch before the ball made contact with the ground; the other knee hit just as his arms and the ball did. James was already on… Read more

The rules don’t say his feet have to move. The rules say the feet have to be “on the ground” and that the receiver has to “turn up field,” which James did by virtue of the way he turned to advance the ball more than a yard from where he first secured it. He fell the fuck over while also reaching to cross the goal line … Read more

No. Because the rules say Superman would have to maintain possession after that initial contact. James did, by virtue of his attempt to advance the ball more than one yard while holding it in his hands. Superman did not. Read more

He lost control only after he pushed off his knees to advance the ball nearly two yards. Tenth of a second or not, that’s not insignificant. Read more

He became a runner, according to the rules. His feet were on the ground and he turned upfield by lunging toward the goal line and advancing the ball. Read more

That item you’re referring to also says (emphasis mine) “[i]f a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball until after his initial contact with the ground ...” Read more

James’s feet were on the ground. And “or taking additional steps” isn’t the same thing as “and taking additional steps.” Read more

It doesn’t say say or imply running. It says “turning up field,” right after it says any part of the body can be on the ground. Read more

By lunging he advanced the ball two yards upfield. Which, by definition, requires one to turn upfield, regardless of hip placement. Read more

Okay. Here is Rule 3-2-7(3)(1) (emphasis mine):

A player who goes to the ground in the process of attempting to secure possession of a loose ball (with or without contact by an opponent) must maintain control of the ball until after his initial contact with the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If… Read more

He had possession and lunged. The only reason the catch was ruled incomplete is because he was going to the ground and the rules say he’s required to maintain possession even after the ball initially makes contact with the ground. But if a defender had knocked it out before the ball even got to the ground, it would… Read more

I said that, too, if you read what I wrote. Read more