steelers@ravens winning touchdown

[newmdref]

I would like to actually ask a rule question as it relates to this situation. (I am a new official so go easy on me) I understand its a touchdown by rule when the receiver is in possession of the football, with both feet down in the field of play and any portion of the ball intersects the EZ line. My question is at what point does the receiver establish possession?? It is my understanding (limited understanding) that the receiver must make a move with the football and maintain possession of the ball through that movement in order for possession to be established. When I watch this play on tape the receiver's first movement(tucking) of the ball takes the ball out of the endzone, if it was ever in, which establishes possession. So...in this situation was possession established a the second it touched his hands?? or after that??. A "What if" situation I have thought of, as it relates to this play, is: the receiver catches the ball just as he did in the game but is hit from behind almost immediately after his hands touch the ball (with both feet in bounds and the ball touching the EZ line) and losses possession of the ball while attemping to tuck it. Is it still a TD or incomplete pass?? Please Advise.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by newmdref

I would like to actually ask a rule question as it relates to this situation. (I am a new official so go easy on me) I understand its a touchdown by rule when the receiver is in possession of the football, with both feet down in the field of play and any portion of the ball intersects the EZ line. My question is at what point does the receiver establish possession?? It is my understanding (limited understanding) that the receiver must make a move with the football and maintain possession of the ball through that movement in order for possession to be established.

Originally Posted by newmdref

When I watch this play on tape the receiver's first movement(tucking) of the ball takes the ball out of the endzone, if it was ever in, which establishes possession. So...in this situation was possession established a the second it touched his hands?? or after that??. A "What if" situation I have thought of, as it relates to this play, is: the receiver catches the ball just as he did in the game but is hit from behind almost immediately after his hands touch the ball (with both feet in bounds and the ball touching the EZ line) and losses possession of the ball while attemping to tuck it. Is it still a TD or incomplete pass?? Please Advise.

Go to the 2:27 mark in this video.

NFL Video Galleries

[JR12]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Go to the 2:27 mark in this video.

NFL Video Galleries

Thanks, very informative.

[newmdref]

Juggling thanks

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by JR12

Thanks, very informative.

Originally Posted by newmdref

Juggling thanks

You're welcome.

[ajmc]

Somrthing you really need to think about and understand is the concept of forward progress, and how to respond to, and apply it. The Pittsburg-Ravens TD play is an excellent example.

There are several factors involved which are considered separately and are not necessarily related to, or dependent on each other. Taken separately, a "catch" requires possession of the ball, while there is contact with the ground (2 feet-NFL, 1 foot-College, HS or any other part of the body). For that catch to produce a TD, both factors have to be satisfied and the ball has to break the plane of the goal line. There is no absolute time limitation to completing the sequence.

Forward progress is defined (At the NFHS level) as (NF: 2.15.1) "the end of advancement of the ball in a runner's possession or the forward-most point of the ball when it is fumbled out of bounds towards the opponent's goal and it determines the dead ball spot." Normally, this is an eyeball judgment made without benefit of slide rule, slow motion or stop action photography or computer generated red lines.

(NF: 2.15.2) relates to this specific instance in stating, "When an airborne player makes a catch, forward progress is the furthest point of advancement after he possesses the ball if contacted by a defender."

Mixing those points together to fit the play at hand, you have a player, with both feet on the ground, possessing a ball whose front edge clearly broke the plane of the goal line (as determined by replay). The issue of, "the receiver must make a move with the football and maintain possession of the ball through that movement in order for possession to be established" was completed after the receiver was knocked to the ground, out of the EZ, where the catch was ultimately completed.

When a decision is reached that the catch had satisfied all requirements to be considered completed, THEN forward progress is determined by the "furthest point of advancement" reached during the possession process, which in a situation like this did not occur at the same point where forward progress was determined.

At the NFL level, the Referee having benefit of IR technology, determined that the ball did break the goal line plane, and making that determination, as is his responsibility, reversed the call on the field.