That an official could declare a player either had time to perform a football move (2014) or was clearly a runner solely based on time (2015) meaning nothing changed in the rules from 2014 to 2015 like you were saying it did. Whether you had "time enough" to perform an act (to be a runner) in 2014 or upright "long enough" to be a runner the rules are the same.
In the 2014 case play the brace before the lunge was the football move that completed the catch process and made the lunge the act of a runner.
So I think the reason there is confusion is really based on what the actual rules say and then what these use cases say.
The rules are clear as they stand alone. My argument has always been to explain how the rules show Dez didn't catch the ball.
In my opinion, the case play that folks are hanging on to from 2014 and I believe the year before, where they talk about a player "bracing" themselves on the
So I'm done debating this. If the case play was an actual rule then it should have been defined as one. And the definition would then include actual language to say how and what qualifies as a football move while going to the ground.
It seems the case play was there to provide an out for officials to call going to the ground plays that look like catches as catches. The point the he caught it gang are trying to prove. If that is the intent, then define in the rule what qualifies as becoming a runner while going to the ground.
The problem with that, as Pereira has said, is that it becomes hard to do. But they can't try and have it both ways. That's why everyone is confused.
Here's how I see the rule today.
You really have two situations where a player can catch a ball.
1. If he is upright
2. If he is falling
So now how do you define what a catch is for both?
If a player is upright they can become a runner. This is to give them time to secure the ball. So you have:
1. Possess the ball
2. Two feet down while possessing the ball
Now you could simply stop there. Some would say you should. That is really all a catch should be. But if you did you would see many more fumbles. So they interjected:
3. Become a runner
Becoming a runner or making an act or having time. This is all there to allow the player to protect himself and secure the ball. This is a judgement call.
Now, if a player is falling. This is a bigger judgment call. And, as in the Fitz, I don't agree with the judgement made.
To deem a player is going to the ground you have to believe that the player would have no way of staying upright. If you determine this then they injected this:
3. Maintain control through the process of contacting the ground.
That, to me, is the equivalent of becoming a runner for a player who is upright. Since you can't run while you are falling. If you are falling, you first hit the ground. You can then get back up and run, but an additional act of getting off the ground is required.
So there should be no mention of making a common act or becoming a runner while someone is falling. And you are either upright or falling. And those are judgement calls. And if you are falling, you can't become a runner.
Now, you could remove maintaining control from a player going to the ground. Just like you could remove becoming a runner for an upright player. So a player falling would simply need to possess the ball and as soon as he has two feet down, or more likely, have any other part of his body touch the ground, then it's a catch. That's what a lot of people would think a catch to be. But again, now you are opening up the chance for many more fumbles.
But what we can't have is some mix match interpretation where there is some reference to being able to become a runner while falling. That's why I've said that the rules need to be rewritten so at least we all know what it is they are looking for and enforcing.
Now if they want to remove become a runner for an upright player or remove maintain control through contacting the ground for a falling player, fine.
Or if they want to allow for some other measure of security for a player who is falling. Fine. But then clearly define that in the rule and not try to kind of have that, but not really.
I don't if any of this helps. It's just how I see it. I believe it's how Pereira sees it. If you or anyone else see it differently then so be it. But I'm done talking about it until or if they change the rule.
But that is it, the 2014 rule is being misinterpreted by those believing the call was correct. Like I said earlier, there are three different rules at play here. The catch process, becoming a runner, and a subsection of the catch rule. It being a subsection is critical to understanding the structure of the rule.
A receiver becomes a runner under the 2014 rules by having control, two feet down in bounds, and by doing an act, or having time to do an act common to the game. Once completed the receiver becomes a runner. Item one deals exclusively with a receiver going to the ground...key word receiver. That means it only applies when the catch process does not happen. There is nothing there to suggest it trumps the 3 step process, until they changed the rule in 2015 to upright long enough to become a runner. This is why the case book play is the way it was, because the 3 step process and going to the ground existed simultaneously from up until 2015.
I will break down the case play and Dez' play:
Case play the receiver had control and 1 foot down at contact and started going to the ground. If the rule was meant as you and others claim...and the way they ruled on the Dez play and if the concept of upright long enough existed prior to 2015...the play would end right there. So either these infallible rule makers screwed up the case play, or you are reading something into Item 1 that isn't there. The case receiver then took another step while going to the ground, so now he's completed control and two feet. He then braces and that is an act common to the game that isn't part of the catch process, so now the case play receiver is now a runner. This is why the case play says the lunge isn't part of the catch process and not the ridiculous claim by Marcus that a lunge is a special move that trumps everything...you know that special move that does not exist in the rule book, maybe it is a secret? Or maybe Marcus has no idea how to read a rule book?
Dez had control when his second foot landed, so before anything else occurs Dez has completed the first two steps of the catch process. His body turns, he takes a step, he contacts Shields, he moves the ball to his left hand, he braces with his right arm, and pushes off with his left leg while extending the ball. This ain't rocket science here, even if you want to say the turn and step were completely caused by him falling, moving the ball to his dominate hand, bracing, pushing off his left leg, and reaching out the ball in his left were a conscience act to try to score. An attempt to score is not part of catching the ball, it is a football move, and based on the 2014 rules and case book, that makes it a catch and downed by contact.
