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OK, after reading the NFHS forum and this month's Referee magazine, my ruling on the field is reversed. I'm on board with the maintaining control after falling to the ground.
Follow-up question: At what point after contacting the ground is possession established and the catch complete? This question was posed to me by several coworkers and I did not have a good answer for them. Folks have pointed out that Murphy's rear hit the ground, then he rolled and the ball hit the ground, clearly moving in his hand.
Is it a question of momentum? Murphy's momentum from falling to the ground was still going when the ball came loose. That seems reasonable, but I don't know if it's an official factor.
Is there some other factor that we should be looking for as officials? When has "touching the ground" finished?
Side Note: Welpe, I believe you are correct that the NCAA rules do not contain this principle, but the Interpretation section does. I wish the NFHS Case Book had some plays that explained a catch versus no-catch.
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