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Originally Posted by FormerUmp
Jesse James' go-ahead TD overturned, ruled incomplete pass - NFL Videos
One could certainly argue based on the first paragraph that he maintains control of the ball through his initial contact with the ground, then makes a move to extend the ball over the goal line. He has clear possession up until after he extends the ball over the line, well past his initial contact with the ground. Obviously this is not how the rule is interpreted.
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One could argue that, but it would be in complete contradiction to what plainly happened - he lost control of the ball immediately when he hit the ground. There is no possession until the catch is over, this wasn't terribly controversial.
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How would this play be ruled in NCAA and NFHS (I guess you'd have to shift the player slightly so he's not down short of the goal line)? I've seen it suggested by some of the TV personalities that this play is a touchdown everywhere but the NFL, but I've also read other threads on here that suggests people would call this incomplete in their games as well.
Lastly, is there a way the rule could be "fixed" so that plays like this and the Dez Bryant play from a few years ago can be correctly ruled touchdowns without creating too many unintended consequences? This is one of a few rules in the NFL that comes up frequently enough and has to be explained frequently enough that the rule should probably be better aligned with "common sense."
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If I saw it bounce/shift/move as the WR hit the ground like this, it would be incomplete in any game of mine. Now, admittedly, seeing it is the rub, but if seen, it's incomplete. Could it be "fixed"? I don't know, I suppose...but there will be a bunch of cheap turnovers if merely holding it under control for a millisecond is the standard. I think the problems caused by this "fix" would be worse than what we have today.