NFL – WILL THE NEWLY DEFINED “CATCH RULE” BRING MORE CLARITY?

Hallelujah.

Today, the 32 NFL owners unanimously approved the simplification of the “Catch Rule” for the 2018 season during their annual league meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Based on the league’s Competition Committee’s recommendation, the revamped rule specifies the “three components of a legal catch” to now be defined as:

1. CONTROL of the football;
2. TWO FEET DOWN OR ANOTHER BODY PART; AND
3. A “FOOTBALL MOVE” like – reaching toward the goal line; bringing the ball in; or a third step. (But not limited to those examples.)

The difference in this new rule and the old one is deletion of the concept “surviving the ground”.  So, no longer will it be necessary for a player to exhibit having control of the ball all the way to the ground to be a catch, if the three components are completed.

That means the infamous Dez Bryant play during the 2015 playoffs that was deemed to be an “incomplete catch” because he did not maintain control to the ground would, in fact, be a catch under the new rule.

Also, the Jesse James play at the goal line in this past year’s Steelers loss to the Patriots would have been confirmed a TD, likely giving Pittsburgh home-field advantage in the playoffs.  At the time, it was not deemed to be a catch because “the receiver… did not survive the ground”.

Now, during the announcement of this new rule policy, Sr. VP of Officiating Al Riveron admitted that this may bring on more fumbles.  For example, if all three components of the new rule are completed and the ball comes loose on the field without the player being touched, it would be deemed a fumble.

But, the most important thing Riveron might have said today was “we want to take these great catches and make them catches.”

If the NFL is losing its audience, for one reason or another, there cannot be continued confusion over what is the fundamental football move (a catch).

And, frankly, it’s sexier for fans to see more catches, not overturned plays due to complex semantics.

This new rule also means that coaches may take more risks on passing plays, which is a good thing.

During the time of the Jesse James play, it was reported that Patriots players were coached to not try moves like stretching out for more yards with the fooball, because “ball security” was more important.  Under this new rule, perhaps ambivalent coaches will now let their players take more chances and go for it.

I like this newly modified NFL rule and think it will help clarify things.  It probably won’t be perfect, but if it satisfies the fans’ sweet tooth for more catches/offense and keeps the momentum going in games, it’s a touchdown all the way around (pun intended).

Well done, NFL Competition Committee.  Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?

 

 

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