Forward progress as it relates to a catch

[aircoryell81]

Here's one I have always had an issue with. The basic question is, in the context of a catch, when does the idea of forward progress begin? My hypothesis is that forward progress cannot be considered until the qualifications for a catch have been satisfied since this is the moment that the receiver has true possession of the ball.

Example using NFL rules:

Receiver runs a comeback route. The pass is high, so the receiver must jump to make the catch. Since it's a comeback route, his momentum is forward towards the LOS. He gains control of the ball at the defense's 20 yard line, but at this moment he is in the air. His momentum carries him back up the field to the defense's 22 yard line and it is here where his second foot comes down in bounds, and he is tackled. Usually, without exception, I will see the ball spotted at the place where he gained control of the ball...in this example, the 20 yrd line.

I believe this to be wrong as my intuition tells me forward progress cannot be determined until the qualifications for a catch have been satisfied. Again, in this example, his forward progress would begin at the point the ball was at when his second foot came down.

Another more intricate example of this happened on Monday in the San Diego/Denver game. I will preface to say I am a chargers fan (I'm sure you can probably tell by my username) but when it comes to rules, I leave subjectivity at the door. The broncos had the ball inside the 10 with 3rd and goal. Brandon Stokely received a pass pretty much right at the goal line. It's important to note While making the catch he was also going to the ground. Stokely controled the ball at the goal line but his falling momentum carried him back to around the 1. Stokely then rolled on the ground and 'squirmed' his way into the endzone. The ruling on the field appeared to be he made the catch out of the endzone, was not down by contact since no charger player touched him and then crawled into the endzone.

Replays clearly showed him being touched down outside of the endzone. The play was reviewed and the referree said it was a touchdown because stokely had control of the ball while the ball was breaking the plane of the goal line thus making the play dead at that moment.

My argument against this ruling stems from my earlier argument. Forward progress cannot be considered until ALL of the elements for a catch are satisfied. In the NFL (not sure about HS and college) when a receiver gets control of the ball while falling, he must maintain control of the ball all the way thru his fall to ground in order for it to be ruled a good catch. Only at this moment can forward progress be calculated because this is the moment he gains possession of the ball.

Stokely was falling while making the catch, so until his fall completed he did not yet possess the ball. he completed his fall at the one yrd line where he was touched down by the defense. According to my interpretation the ball should have been spotted here for 4th down.

Am I correct or is my logic flawed?

[cmathews]

if the receiver is untouched by a defender, then normally the forward progress spot is where they first touch. However if there is no contact with a defender then normally they catch the ball and move up field and it is a mute point. If there is contact with a defender, then the spot depends on how the receiver lands. If they land on their feet then the same rules as above apply, especially when we are talking about the goal line being in play. If they land on their behind or are otherwise considered down from the contact then the progress is where the contact occured with respect to in the field of play and again where the goal line is concerned. In NCAA the sidelines have their own sets of philosophies.

With respect to taking the ball to the ground. The catch is technically completed when anything touches the ground with respect to progress, however in order for it to stay a catch, the receiver has to maintain control throughout hitting the ground.

I also saw the play you are talking about. I will preface my statements with the fact that I am a bronco fan, however being an official, I leave my bias at the door. When Stokely gains control, his foot is on the ground, we have a catch with progress whereever progress is there. He maintains control to the ground, so his progress is where the ball is when he contacted the ground with is foot/knee. I never saw an angle that gave a good shot of where the ball was located in relation to the goal line at that point in time. I could be pretty easily persuaded either way. My gut tells me that the ball was just barely crossing the plane at that time....however the official appears to rule the touchdown based on what you said about rolling/squirming into the endzone. With that being said, it is my belief that when the White hat goes under the hood, he can review everything that happened in relation to catch/control/forward progress etc...so he may have had a better camera angle and determined that Stokely met all the criteria for control, and the ball was breaking the plane, therefore the touching in the field of play was no longer a factor...but unless we can talk to the whitehat, we really don't know....