NFL Owners Agree To New Simplified Wording On Catch Rule – These Three Things Must Happen
NFL owners voted unanimously to the new wording for "what is a catch".
The three things that must happen in order for a play to be ruled a catch are:
- having control of the ball;
- getting two feet down or another body part;
- making a football move, such as taking a third step or extending the ball.
"We wanted to simplify and provide clarity," Pittsburgh coach and longtime competition committee member Mike Tomlin said. "It was time to do so after we got caught up in language that didn't do that. The language was obscure and confusing."
The committee cited overturned catches from the Bears tight end Zach Miller (against the Saints) and Steelers tight end Jesse James (against the Patriots) among the many plays that they reviewed to come to these terms.
Do you think the simplified wording will help people, or more importantly referees, in understanding what a catch is?