loublue22
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I'm sorry to make another thread but I feel it needs to be seen, and I want an answer from someone
Dez's catch was overturned by the so-called "Calvin Johnson rule", which states that a receiver who catches the ball and goes down to the ground must maintain control "through the catch", essentially meaning he won't simply be down by contact like a runner would be, nor are they protected from the "ground can't cause a fumble" rule, though in this case it renders the pass incomplete instead of a fumble.
Now, the actual basic NFL rule for what constitutes a catch says this:
A forward pass is complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) if a player, who is inbounds:
(a) secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and
(b) touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands; and
(c) maintains control of the ball long enough, after (a) and (b) have
been fulfilled, to enable him to perform any act common to the game
(i.e., maintaining control long enough to pitch it, pass it, advance with it, or avoid or ward off an opponent, etc.).
As far as I can tell, no official has said that Dez didn't complete parts a or b, I also have eyes so I know he did. That leaves us with "performing an act common to the game", one of which is advancing the ball. Now, I don't think there can be any argument that Dez advanced the ball.
So this brings up my main point, which is that these rules seem to directly contradict one another, UNLESS the CJ rule does not apply when the ball is advanced. ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE does it say that if your are "falling" that it doesn't count as advancing the ball. In fact, that would be asinine given how many times players stumble forward and gain a few extra yards. The ball is not brought back to where they began to lose their footing.
There is no caveat in the basic rule for a catch that says it will not apply if the receiver is falling down. However, if any receiver catches the ball and simply falls down without any advancement, then they will have not satisfied any stipulations of part c of the main rule, and therefore the CJ rule can be applied.
So, to sum up, the Calvin Johnson rule is in DIRECT contradiction and opposition to the basic rule of what constitutes a catch, UNLESS it is not applied whenever the ball is advanced by the receiver, which Dez clearly did. I think this proves beyond any doubt that it should have been a catch all the way and the right call was made on the field. It's my hope that someone will see this and make this argument to an NFL official somewhere and have it answered.
Dez's catch was overturned by the so-called "Calvin Johnson rule", which states that a receiver who catches the ball and goes down to the ground must maintain control "through the catch", essentially meaning he won't simply be down by contact like a runner would be, nor are they protected from the "ground can't cause a fumble" rule, though in this case it renders the pass incomplete instead of a fumble.
Now, the actual basic NFL rule for what constitutes a catch says this:
A forward pass is complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) if a player, who is inbounds:
(a) secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and
(b) touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands; and
(c) maintains control of the ball long enough, after (a) and (b) have
been fulfilled, to enable him to perform any act common to the game
(i.e., maintaining control long enough to pitch it, pass it, advance with it, or avoid or ward off an opponent, etc.).
As far as I can tell, no official has said that Dez didn't complete parts a or b, I also have eyes so I know he did. That leaves us with "performing an act common to the game", one of which is advancing the ball. Now, I don't think there can be any argument that Dez advanced the ball.
So this brings up my main point, which is that these rules seem to directly contradict one another, UNLESS the CJ rule does not apply when the ball is advanced. ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE does it say that if your are "falling" that it doesn't count as advancing the ball. In fact, that would be asinine given how many times players stumble forward and gain a few extra yards. The ball is not brought back to where they began to lose their footing.
There is no caveat in the basic rule for a catch that says it will not apply if the receiver is falling down. However, if any receiver catches the ball and simply falls down without any advancement, then they will have not satisfied any stipulations of part c of the main rule, and therefore the CJ rule can be applied.
So, to sum up, the Calvin Johnson rule is in DIRECT contradiction and opposition to the basic rule of what constitutes a catch, UNLESS it is not applied whenever the ball is advanced by the receiver, which Dez clearly did. I think this proves beyond any doubt that it should have been a catch all the way and the right call was made on the field. It's my hope that someone will see this and make this argument to an NFL official somewhere and have it answered.
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