Then there is case book play 8.12 from the last Official NFL Case Book: This case book includes 8.9 as well, but of course joefrl has not read it, he only used the few examples in the Rule Book and not all possible scenarios where Item 1 is used.
8.12 says a player catches the ball in 2 hands and lands on 1 foot, is contacted by the defender which causes him to go to the ground, after starting to the ground he gets a 2nd foot down, he then braces himself with his right arm and pushes off his 2nd foot down and lunges for the end zone. Ruling COMPLETED CATCH. This case play is important for three reasons. One, it establishes that the A-C process still applies to a player going to the ground. Two, that the A-C process does not have to occur before the fall starts. Three, the play is almost identical to what happened in GB. In fact the differences in GB make it even more of a catch. Unlike the case play Dez landed on two feet, so at that point both A and B were met. At that point Dez turns his body toward the end zone and takes a step. This is critical because a turn and step establish part C. But it does not end there, Dez also switches the ball from two hands to one. A player still catching a ball will not do that will they? No, that also establishes part C. From this point the Dez play mirrors the case play with an arm down to brace and a lunge toward the goal line, again completing the A-C catch process and making Item 1 moot.
