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Originally Posted by l3will
Rule 2 Section 28 Out of bounds
2-28-2 A ball in player possession is out of bounds when the runner or the ball touches anything, other than another player or game official, who is on or outside a sideline or end line.
Rule 2 Section 4 Catch
Art. 1. A catch is the act of establishing player possession of a live ball which is in flight and first contacting the ground inbounds or being contacted by an opponent in such a way that he is prevented from returning to the ground inbounds while maintaining possession of the ball.
Art. 2. Catching is always proceded by touch the ball; thus, if touching causes the ball to become dead, securing possession of the ball has no significance.
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So if the ball is first thing to touch, and the ball is out of bounds.... it isn't
a catch.
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If the ball is the first thing to touch inbounds or out of bounds, it's not a catch. NFHS Rules are a bit less clear than NCAA Rules on this, in my opinion, but here's the deal:
NFHS 2-4-1: A catch is the act of establishing
player possession of a
live ball which is in flight, and first contacting the ground inbounds or being contacted in such a way that...
--and player possession is:
NFHS 2-33-1: A ball in player possession is a live ball held or controlled by a player after it has been handed or snapped to him, or after he has
caught or recovered it.
--which takes us back to 2-4-1...BUT:
NFHS 2-1-3: A loose ball is a pass, fumble, or kick....
A loose ball which has not yet touched the ground is in flight.
A grounded loose ball is one which has touched the ground. Any loose ball continues to be a loose ball until a player secures possession of it or until it becomes dead by rule, whichever comes first.
--so we have a loose ball that
has touched the ground BEFORE A CATCH is complete, making it a grounded loose ball, and an incomplete pass, because a catch is not complete until a player
"contacts the ground inbounds (NFHS 2-4-1)."
NCAA makes this a lot simpler, in my opinion, by throwing together "live ball" and "pass that has not yet touched the ground" into one definition, as well as adding that a player doesn't have
possession (not just a catch), until they've contacted the ground inbounds.
NCAA 2-5-a: A player “gains possession’’ when he is firmly holding or controlling the ball while contacting the ground inbounds.
NCAA 2-2-1: A live ball is a ball in play.
A pass, kick or fumble
that has not yet touched the ground is a live ball in flight.