What is a catch? Inbounds or out of bounds?

[scho63]

Everytime I think I know the rule for what is a catch, I'm thrown a curveball.

I am NOT a referee or rule nazi that has the NFL rule book in my pocket so give me some slack.

So this is what threw me for a loop on Garrett Wilson's awesome catch last night:
Wilson came down with the ball, his left leg was in after replay confirmed but then he went out of the end zone and his left hand was clearly out BEFORE he got his right foot down.

I was always under the impression he needed both feet in the end zone BEFORE he touched out of bounds or else it didn't count.

Did they change the rule or am I missing something?

[siberian khatru]

One knee equals two feet (ask John Madden)

One shin equals two feet

But we also know from last weekend: One foot tapped twice does not equal two feet

[wazu]

He got his shin down before anything else touched out of bounds. Don't need 2 feet in if you get a shin down.

CATCH OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE FROM GARRETT WILSON ��

�� @nyjets pic.twitter.com/A3efxJMIiF

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 1, 2024

[lcarus]

That looked out to me. I guess they said the shin was in? But to me it looked like the shin started in and when it was totally flat, it was out. Just like a foot can be in when it first contacts the ground, but when its fully flat, its out.

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

One knee equals two feet (ask John Madden)

One shin equals two feet

But we also know from last weekend: One foot tapped twice does not equal two feet

Which I think is crazy. If you catch the ball in bounds at the 10 and hop on one foot to the 1 before being pushed OOB it’s not a catch?

[scho63]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

One knee equals two feet (ask John Madden)

One shin equals two feet

But we also know from last weekend: One foot tapped twice does not equal two feet

Sounds like I need an anatomy lessons.

One Shin = Two feet = TD

One foot twice ≠ shin ≠ TD

Two feet tap = TD

One foot in and toe touches line ≠ one shin

Shin > one foot

Shin = two feet

So how do deez nuts factor in?

[smithandrew051]

Originally Posted by DenverChief

Which I think is crazy. If you catch the ball in bounds at the 10 and hop on one foot to the 1 before being pushed OOB it’s not a catch?

I’d bet they change that rule.

They may need a carve out for toe drags though.

Sometimes you see a guy drag his first foot, which comes slightly off the ground then drags more. The other foot hits out of bounds. That probably shouldn’t be a catch.

[ThaVirus]

I liked the Garrett Wilson call as a catch. I’m OK with being awarded a TD for a sizable portion of the shin hitting in bounds before the rest lands out of bounds.

I also have no problems with the Pickens non-TD for tapping the same foot twice. If you can tap the same foot in bounds twice, you can certainly tap both feet in bounds once. He didn’t so he didn’t deserve a TD.. though I will say I wouldn’t be surprised if that rule is reviewed this offseason. I wouldn’t be upset if it were changed either, even though I don’t think it happens frequently enough to matter in the long run.

[FlaChief58]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

One knee equals two feet (ask John Madden)

One shin equals two feet

But we also know from last weekend: One foot tapped twice does not equal two feet

/thread

via GIFER

[digger]

He has two feet down before getting in the end zone...

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by lcarus

That looked out to me. I guess they said the shin was in? But to me it looked like the shin started in and when it was totally flat, it was out. Just like a foot can be in when it first contacts the ground, but when its fully flat, its out.

I thought the knee was actually down OOB before the shin made contact.

I thought the rule was actually pretty straightforward here. And how they implemented it was fine. I just thought their conclusion was wrong. Or at least, I didn't see anything that constituted 'clear visual evidence' sufficient to overturn.

But hey, was glad to see 'em do it. **** the Jets and **** Rodgers, but chaos in the AFC can only be a good thing for us.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

I liked the Garrett Wilson call as a catch. I’m OK with being awarded a TD for a sizable portion of the shin hitting in bounds before the rest lands out of bounds.

I also have no problems with the Pickens non-TD for tapping the same foot twice. If you can tap the same foot in bounds twice, you can certainly tap both feet in bounds once. He didn’t so he didn’t deserve a TD.. though I will say I wouldn’t be surprised if that rule is reviewed this offseason. I wouldn’t be upset if it were changed either, even though I don’t think it happens frequently enough to matter in the long run.

I hope not. That's gonna be one of those rule changes that create more headaches than it solves.

I mean, what if a 'toe drag' ends up a 'toe skip' and you double tap the same foot twice. Is that 'two steps' because the toe bounced off the ground before it re-connected? Now do we have to start seeing how high the foot lifted to determine if it 'broke contact with the grass' before it came down again, thus constituting the same foot twice?

That's gonna be a shitshow. Please don't get into all that.

As you've noted - at a point this is all theatre either way. Why should it be 2 rather than 1 as in college? No reason - it's arbitrary. So it's not like we're leaning on any fundamental laws of nature here.

If the rule says get two feet down rather than 1 foot down twice, well that's the damn rule. Execute that.

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by smithandrew051

I’d bet they change that rule.

They may need a carve out for toe drags though.

Sometimes you see a guy drag his first foot, which comes slightly off the ground then drags more. The other foot hits out of bounds. That probably shouldn’t be a catch.

I just can’t comprehend how taking 2 or more steps with the same foot is not equal to two feet in. I get what you are saying and you are correct that’s now a catch.

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I hope not. That's gonna be one of those rule changes that create more headaches than it solves.

I mean, what if a 'toe drag' ends up a 'toe skip' and you double tap the same foot twice. Is that 'two steps' because the toe bounced off the ground before it re-connected? Now do we have to start seeing how high the foot lifted to determine if it 'broke contact with the grass' before it came down again, thus constituting the same foot twice?

That's gonna be a shitshow. Please don't get into all that.

As you've noted - at a point this is all theatre either way. Why should it be 2 rather than 1 as in college? No reason - it's arbitrary. So it's not like we're leaning on any fundamental laws of nature here.

If the rule says get two feet down rather than 1 foot down twice, well that's the damn rule. Execute that.

Remember when Toney caught that swing pass against Jax and hopped on one foot to the EZ? Had he gotten pushed OOB that would have not been a catch when it clearly was. Just food for thought - it’s not always possible to get 2 feet down but the same foot multiple times should count

[Mecca]

It was incredibly close I honestly think they gave him the TD because it's a highlight reel play.