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how is this not a touchdown


The Artesticle
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I am far from a football expert, but that should without a doubt be a catch. He called the ball with two hands, hit his feet with control of the ball, then fell over and spiked the ball against the ground. I understand there are some crazy loopholes in the rulebook, but that was just an awful call.

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I think that's bs about control, considering many guys rush in and dive for the corner of an end zone. A TD is anything that breaks the plane... he had two feet down too. I'm really confused by it.

There is a difference. When a player breaks the plane on a diving TD, they already have possession while attempt to score a touchdown. In the endzone attempting a catch, the player does not enter the endzone with possession and it is deemed that to be classified to fully possess the ball you need to maintain through the play.

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There is a difference. When a player breaks the plane on a diving TD, they already have possession while attempt to score a touchdown. In the endzone attempting a catch, the player does not enter the endzone with possession and it is deemed that to be classified to fully possess the ball you need to maintain through the play.

Exactly, just like if it were a catch on the 40 yard line.

 

Whether or not you guys like the rule, it's clear as day. Johnson should've tucked the ball in, and you can tell he didn't spike it or intentionally let go of it.

 

Same thing happens when a player catches the ball, toes in, and lands out of bounds. If he lands out and the ball pops out, it's an incomplete.

 

The rule is actually a good one, because if you allow for two steps while you're falling, and ignore the ball coming out when you hit the ground, you have to make it a rule that a player hit, while going to the ground, still scores despite the ball coming out...and the problem with that is, it wouldn't make sense on any other part of the field.

 

Plus, it leaves a major gap when determining whether or not a player had possession when he scores, and that relates to any catch on any part of the field.

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This has to be one of the worst rules in the NFL.

 

He had possession, two feet down, fell on his back/side and still maintained possession after hitting the ground, and then put the ball on the ground to get up and celebrate, all in one motion.

 

I really don't know what else people want him to do, and it's funny that someone said he was being careless. :lol: .

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This has to be one of the worst rules in the NFL.

 

He had possession, two feet down, fell on his back/side and still maintained possession after hitting the ground, and then put the ball on the ground to get up and celebrate, all in one motion.

 

I really don't know what else people want him to do, and it's funny that someone said he was being careless. :lol: .

 

it should be a TD but he shouldn't have dropped the ball in the first place.

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it should be a TD but he shouldn't have dropped the ball in the first place.

 

He didn't drop it because he fell. He dropped it getting up to celebrate, like he should have.

 

What do you want him to do? Do you want him to catch the ball, get two feet down while maintaining possession, bring it home to his family so they can have dinner with it, and then return it to the ref?

Edited by EastCoastNiner
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He didn't drop it because he fell. He dropped it getting up to celebrate, like he should have.

If you can prove to me that he wasn't losing control of the ball as his hand was falling to the ground, you have a point.

 

Reaction to a ball falling out of your hand? Follow it downward with your hand on top, like a dribble with a basketball.

 

http://i52.tinypic.com/2iaqw6q.jpg

 

He's making a fist for a reason. He was trying to grip the ball as it was slipping out of his hand, and he lost the grip right when the ball hit the ground, thus turning his hand into a fist.

 

Stick it in slo-mo, and you'll see he didn't spike the ball. In fact, he was trying to keep his arm out as he landed, but he started to roll as the ball was slipping from his grip. Otherwise, he would've just brought it into his chest, but he didn't have his other hand to do that.

 

Incomplete.

 

What do you want him to do? Do you want him to catch the ball, get two feet down while maintaining possession, bring it home to his family so they can have dinner with it, and then return it to the ref?

Catch it, tuck it in and fall with it in his possession. Or keep it in his hand when he gets up, to show that he caught it and maintained possession, like normal players do.

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It's moronic, I can see the rule being used in some places, if like a receiver doesn't have a clear catch and theres a bobble at the end when he hits the ground. However, Calvin had the ball and went to the ground and had full possession of the ball when he hit the ground. It's when he went to get up he pressed the football against the ground it slipped. Completely moronic, if it happened on the 40 yard line it should be a fumble, since it happened in end zone it should be a TD. The Lions got [expletive]ed, no 2 ways around it.

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A very similar play happened in the Super Bowl last year, on the 2 point conversion, and the officials did not overturn it. But there are also cases where the officials did enforce this rule. It seems pretty stupid to me.

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A very similar play happened in the Super Bowl last year, on the 2 point conversion, and the officials did not overturn it. But there are also cases where the officials did enforce this rule. It seems pretty stupid to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J0_WL06AAc

 

Thanks for reminding me, this play was even worse than Calvin's. Pathetic NFL refs love who dat and hates the Lions.

Edited by Fish7718
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In this picture, thats 3 body parts on the ground with the ball completely controlled, a catch, turning his body is secondary motion.

Right, and that would be legit if he ran the ball in after a catch, but he was falling to the ground, asked to control the ball.

 

There is no way anyone can prove to me that the ball was not coming out of his hand right when he hit the ground. I could simply say he was following the ball down to the ground, and it was the ground that would've assisted him in holding on IF he did in fact keep it in his hand.

 

If someone can prove to me that he spiked the ball coming down, or intentionally let it go, you guys are right.

 

Otherwise, you're building a house without a foundation.

 

Should the rule be changed? Probably so, but what can they say? A catch turns into an incomplete if the player is falling during the catch, hits the ground and the ball pops out. When a referee can't prove that the ball wasn't coming out, he goes straight to the ground, the ball did hit the ground, and the ground caused the incomplete in this situation.

 

The funniest part about this is...all of it could've been avoided if he kept the ball up, stood up and then spiked it. Or tucked it into his gut, rolled over and got up. If it was a legit complete pass, he would've done that, knowing you have to show you've caught the ball in a tight situation like that. He's not a rookie to the game.

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Herm Edwards nailed it just now on NFL Live (I think that's the show, haha). He stated that the rule has been put into place because receivers used to "spike" the ball as they were losing control of it, coming to the ground. That created a gray area where referees had no idea if it was a legitimate catch or not.

 

Let me say this much: go outside, grab a football with one hand and hold it up over your head, jump in the air and land on your hip. If you don't feel any kind of release in your grip, you can argue that Calvin Johnson didn't, either.

 

The biggest notification that he didn't spike that ball was the fact he made a fist. Pretend like you're spiking a ball. When you release it, your hand is open. Now grip a football tight, and let it slip from your fingers. You make a fist.

 

He lost his grip after he hit the ground.

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