In the 2014 rule, they also looked for TIME for an act, if an act didn't occur.
Right. In the end zone. The act wouldn't occur in the end zone, and they didn't want to make a separate rule for end zone plays.
The act is covered by the new rules by describing "demonstrating" one's self to be a runner. A runner does certain things. They can look for those things.
Please tell me what you think the football move was supposed to demonstrate, if not that the player had become a runner. Yes, a runner does certain things.
Those things are called football moves. When the official saw a football move, he knew the TIME requirement for becoming a runner was met.
We
never went away from it.
...the 2014 rule mentioned "long enough" to perform an act; in 2015, a player has to be "upright long enough." There's judgment of time either way. And even if they look for acts in 2014 or 2017 they have to judge whether those acts were demonstrative enough to qualify (just like our intent vs. execution discussion).
They're not looking for "acts" according to the 2017 rules. They're looking at whether the body of a player is upright, and how long it stays upright.
They're so far off track, that they've gone from asking "what is a catch?' to asking "what is going to the ground?"
For the Dez play, all the major players were asked and all stated that Dez' act was not demonstrative enough. His intent was to lunge, which would have put him squarely in line with that caseplay posted that was in effect in 2014 and 2015. He didn't execute on his intent and it was his undoing.
Yes, all the major players were asked. That includes the head of officials who overturned a catch that should have stood, the ref who worked for him, and the former head of officials who now looks back on this play as an example of "falling into the trap of becoming too technical and losing sight of the most important part of the decision, which is what was called on the field."