Another Catch\No Catch

[NDRef]

Here we go--rule references as well please:

Receiver A dives for a catch and is horizontal to the playing field. The ball is secured in hands while in the air. As stated Receiver is fully stretched out, when landing the ball is first to touch the ground (hands on the sides of the ball). Receiver A never loses the ball after contact with the ground; he just bounces and pulls the ball in after hitting the ground. Do we have a catch?

[MJT]

Originally Posted by NDRef

Here we go--rule references as well please:

Receiver A dives for a catch and is horizontal to the playing field. The ball is secured in hands while in the air. As stated Receiver is fully stretched out, when landing the ball is first to touch the ground (hands on the sides of the ball). Receiver A never loses the ball after contact with the ground; he just bounces and pulls the ball in after hitting the ground. Do we have a catch?

No catch. The hands need to be under the ball. Don't have my book for a reference but have seen it many times ruled that exact way.

[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.


..................

So if the ball is first thing to touch, and the ball is out of bounds.... it isn't
a catch.

[HawkeyeCubP]

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.

..................

So if the ball is first thing to touch, and the ball is out of bounds.... it isn't
a catch.

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.

[Bob Mc]

See table 7-5-4.5