Dez's Catch

[BATCAB27]

Im not a cowboys fan, but that sure looks like a catch every time I see it.

[Alex Heitman]

It's a catch in almost everyone's book. According to how the rule is written it is not. I think it's bogus and he was robbed especially because he was reaching for the goal line and I bet if he crossed the goal line it would have been ruled a touchdown.

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, not a catch according to the rules, but should have been. If a running back gets to the goal line and reaches the ball over it before his knee hits, at that instant it's a touchdown and no matter what happens afterward that doesn't change, including if the ball comes out of his hand when it hits the ground. But if a guy catches it in the end zone and has complete control until the ball hits the ground and then the ball comes out, it's not a catch. Pretty inconsistent.

[Quillback]

According to the rule, he did not "Complete the process". Good call, bad rule. I wish he would have just tucked the ball into his chest and caught the ball rather than try and stretch it across the goal line. The ball didn't cross the goal line until after it came out of his hand, so can't really apply the crossing the goal line situation here.

[ness]

According to the rule, he did not "Complete the process". Good call, bad rule. I wish he would have just tucked the ball into his chest and caught the ball rather than try and stretch it across the goal line. The ball didn't cross the goal line until after it came out of his hand, so can't really apply the crossing the goal line situation here.

Yeas -- that's the way I saw it too.

[bs1827]

My hope is that they take a look at this stupid rule in the off season and take things back to the way it used to be. I'd rather see this rule changed then see the NFL fuss over whether or not to narrow the field goal posts.

[Lancer09]

My hope is that they take a look at this stupid rule in the off season and take things back to the way it used to be. I'd rather see this rule changed then see the NFL fuss over whether or not to narrow the field goal posts.

It's been like this for a few years, and I doubt they change it this offseason. If they were to change this in any way I'd rather them take a look at it as it applies to loose balls. If a player is running with it, bobbles it, gets tackled and it pops out after they have been tackled to the ground it is a fumble, even if they have regained possession after the ball was bobbled.

Dumb, dumb rule all around though, even the part about catching it. The thing with the NFL anymore is there are so many rules and they are so convoluted that it makes it tough on the officials, who are not even full time employees. Like the fact that a ball has to reach the goal line mentioned above, and anything else after is irrelevant.. Except when you make a catch, land on the ground, and then the ball comes out, even if you have made the catch, secured the ball, and landed with the ball in the endzone.

[Wayne SW/MO]

He had no choice but to reach for the goal line, it was 4th down. He made a football move after catching the ball, he reached it out to the goal line, The ground can't cause a fumble. The rules commmitee needs some consistancy.

[Quillback]

It wasn't a fumble (according to the rules). Also, it was 4th and 2, if he had caught the ball short of the goal line it would have been a 1st down.

[Terrierman]

Waaaa.