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Originally Posted by ctblu40
Be careful here Dave. IMO, this is one of the most difficult to defend positions regarding catch/no catch.
What exactly is long enough? If you're discussing this play with a manager, how do you describe what is long enough? The party of the second part in a discussion will most likely ask for a time frame (is 3 seconds long enough?)
It all comes back to the player demonstrating complete control of the ball.
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And demonstrating "complete control" and then subsequently dropping the ball involuntarily and unintentionally is, if ruled a catch, nothing more than adopting the "he had it long enough" principle.
"Complete control" is not the rulebook criteria. "Voluntary and intentional release" is, and it is inadequate as the sole determinant of whether a ball was caught or not.
If your guideline is "complete control" but you ignore a subsequent drop of the ball, then you're using Evans' "long enough" guideline whether you acknowledge it or not.