The official rule

[broncolee]

I still don’t understand why so many people don’t understand the concept of going to the ground.

The pass was not completed the moment James’s knee hit the ground. He was falling to the ground and lost control.

My only question is whether or not the ball hit the ground. I didn’t see the game so I only saw very few replays. I never saw one that showed the ball touch the ground. The refs apparently do believe the ball hit the ground, therefore, it’s an incomplete pass.

Just watched the replay more closely. The ball did hit the ground and the ground helped in resecuring the ball. There’s no doubt about the fact that the pass was incomplete.

[Denver Scores]

I still don’t understand why so many people don’t understand the concept of going to the ground.

The pass was not completed the moment James’s knee hit the ground. He was falling to the ground and lost control.

My only question is whether or not the ball hit the ground. I didn’t see the game so I only saw very few replays. I never saw one that showed the ball touch the ground. The refs apparently do believe the ball hit the ground, therefore, it’s an incomplete pass.

Just watched the replay more closely. The ball did hit the ground and the ground helped in resecuring the ball. There’s no doubt about the fact that the pass was incomplete.

I can't believe you did not see the ball touch the ground. CBS showed it more times than I can count.

For some reason none of the YouTube videos I found show the end of it, where the ground helps Jesse James regain control. But it does not matter. Once the ball hit the ground, the play was over.

[Rich_C]

A few things which I have not been able to find and some others which for me need to be defined and defined CLEARLY:

1. I like that there is some differentiation in the "going to the ground rule" this helps with the natural ambiguity of plays of that nature. Some points which need clarity though:

A. If a player has two feet and a body-part in bounds AND has not been touched by an opponent then that player should be allowed to extend the ball over the goal line. The act of the extension shall be deemed a football move.

(Please note I am differentiating the EZ/Goal line scenario from a standard play)

In the above scenario if the ball HITS the ground and moves and is recovered in the EZ by the same receiver and they still have not been touched then it will be deemed a fumble and recovery for a TD.

I also believe that the spirit of the catching to the ground rule was to avoid those players who were using the ground to help them maintain possession of the ball.


Items which I need to see CLEARLY defined going forward:

1. Control of the Ball: I have actively gone looking and I cannot find what that term (which appears ALL over the rule-book is defined as.
2. Football Move: I believe these need to be completely defined and new ones should be added as they are discovered
3. If a players hand is UNDER the football and it moves while on the ground and they maintain possession where does that scenario fit in?

[Rich_C]

I can't believe you did not see the ball touch the ground. CBS showed it more times than I can count.

For some reason none of the YouTube videos I found show the end of it, where the ground helps Jesse James regain control. But it does not matter. Once the ball hit the ground, the play was over.

I have not seen the ball hit the ground either. I have been actively looking as well. In the clip above all I can see clearly is that the ball and his hand hit the ground and he rolls the ball over onto his other hand. So I have tow issues here:

1. Where is the clear evidence that the ball hit the ground? - that is the only way it is incomplete
2. I really hope to see a modification - NOT A CHANGE to this rule in the off-season to account for a player who is in bounds and not touched trying to extend into the EZ.

[Denver Scores]

I have not seen the ball hit the ground either. I have been actively looking as well. In the clip above all I can see clearly is that the ball and his hand hit the ground and he rolls the ball over onto his other hand. So I have tow issues here:

1. Where is the clear evidence that the ball hit the ground? - that is the only way it is incomplete
2. I really hope to see a modification - NOT A CHANGE to this rule in the off-season to account for a player who is in bounds and not touched trying to extend into the EZ.

First of all, how did the video finally appear after all I could see was a link?

On topic, after Jesse James appeared to transfer the ball to his left hand, the nose hit the ground. Nex,t the ground caused the ball to bounce back up and let James regain control. I cannot find a video that shows this part with Jim Nantz's commentary.

[Rastic]

First of all, how did the video finally appear after all I could see was a link?

On topic, after Jesse James appeared to transfer the ball to his left hand, the nose hit the ground. Nex,t the ground caused the ball to bounce back up and let James regain control. I cannot find a video that shows this part with Jim Nantz's commentary.

Santa's elves are very busy this time of year.






Sorry, I had to say it, it's in my contract.



I changed the link. We have known problems with YouTube videos. You have to change the https to http in the beginning of the link.

Also in your post you just pasted the link (the best I could tell) but you either need to surround the YouTube link in the [vi deo] [/vi deo] tag (minus the spaces) or just press the button at the top of the text editor that looks like film and then paste the link in there.

:thumb:

Back to the topic.

[Denver Scores]

Santa's elves obviously did not go to Pittsburgh last weekend.

[Denver Scores]

I finally found a link to the complete 2017 Official Playing Rules of the National Football League. and downloaded the PDF on my computer. Here is the link:

http://edge-operations.nfl.com/media/2725/2017-playing-rules.pdf