I also cannot think straight

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by deecee

After 15 years I think I know what a fumble is. In this instance with what was described I would not call this a fumble. Changing your mind on a pass and deciding to try and hold on the ball but the ball still pops out is a pass, albeit crappy one, in my book. I'm not rewarding bad offense or penalizing good defense here.

How about poor officiating? Seems that we should take away your next game check so as not to improperly reward that.

That is my way of telling you that you are incorrect on this point.

Anytime that the ball unintentionally slips out of a player's grasp, it is a fumble. The art of officiating is discerning if the action was unintentional or done deliberately. Officials are paid to make those judgment calls. What you have stated (that you are just going to penalize the player for bad offense) is lazy and a failure to fulfill one of the basic tenets of officiating--making an honest assessment of the game action.