NFL supports decision to not overturn Seahawks’ touchdown

In Monday's game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, Seattle faced a 4th-and-10 from the Green Bay 24 with eight seconds remaining in the game.

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson threw a pass into the end zone. Several players, including Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate and Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings, jumped into the air in an attempt to catch the ball.

While the ball is in the air, Tate can be seen shoving Green Bay cornerback Sam Shields to the ground. This should have been a penalty for offensive pass interference, which would have ended the game. It was not called and is not reviewable in instant replay.

When the players hit the ground in the end zone, the officials determined that both Tate and Jennings had possession of the ball. Under the rule for simultaneous catch, the ball belongs to Tate, the offensive player. The result of the play was a touchdown.

Replay Official Howard Slavin stopped the game for an instant replay review. The aspects of the play that were reviewable included if the ball hit the ground and who had possession of the ball. In the end zone, a ruling of a simultaneous catch is reviewable. That is not the case in the field of play, only in the end zone.

Referee Wayne Elliott determined that no indisputable visual evidence existed to overturn the call on the field, and as a result, the on-field ruling of touchdown stood. The NFL Officiating Department reviewed the video today and supports the decision not to overturn the on-field ruling following the instant replay review.

A player (or players) jumping in the air has not legally gained possession of the ball until he satisfies the elements of a catch listed here.

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.).

When a player (or players) is going to the ground in the attempt to catch a pass, Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1 states:

Player Going to the Ground. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.

Simultaneous Catch. If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control. If the ball is muffed after simultaneous touching by two such players, all the players of the passing team become eligible to catch the loose ball.

I say Tate had control FIRST per this 20 second close-up YouTube clip linked below. You'll notice his left hand grabs the ball before Jennings can get a hold of it. Nowhere does it say you need TWO hands to control the ball although I still maintain that Tate bought his right hand into the ball before he hit the ground. Now with control of the ball, Tate lands FIRST and satisfies the rest of the completed pass rule from your Rules page: "A forward pass is complete when a receiver clearly possesses the pass and touches the ground with both feet inbounds while in possession of the ball. If a receiver would have landed inbounds with both feet but is carried or pushed out of bounds while maintaining possession of the ball, pass is complete at the out-of-bounds spot."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WDnSdkefYAA

You can say it, but you’re wrong, the very clip that you posted in 56 shows Jennings with 2 hands on the ball while Tate has none. That’s Jennings control first. Feet don’t matter, this is about control, not feet. The rule that matter is the one I quoted, in a case of joint control who has control, once you decide who has control you move on to their feet to determine if they were inbounds and had possession. But control is first, if you don’t know who has control you don’t know whose feet matter.

Polling to determine who is right is a liberal tactic when facts and rules go against you. See Global Warming and Triangulation (Bill Clinton).

If you want a full explanation, here is a link to an article, but here is the salient part:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/76194/thoughts-as-nfl-announces-officials-return-2
The NFL's statement on the play notes that "a player (or players) jumping in the air has not legally gained possession of the ball until he satisfies the elements of a catch."

Those elements are satisfied when a player: •"Secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground." Note the plural. Hands or arms. Not hand or arm. Is that a meaningful distinction, or semantics?

•"Touches the ground inbounds with both feet or any body part other than his hands." Tate did this before Jennings did this, but did he have the ball?

•"Maintains control of the ball long enough 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.)."

The league also cited the rule governing a simultaneous catch.

"If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers," the rule reads. "It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control."

Now, if you go to the part about maintaining the ball long enough to perform any act common to the game, you can clearly see NEITHER party had sole possession, but it was indeed caught, therefore it was a SIMULTANEOUS catch, regardless of what 97% of those polled FEEL.

Finally, footage shot from the reverse angle by local tv station KCPQ shows Tate may indeed have had more posession than Jennings as they came down, but you probably cant be bothered with silly things like evidence.

If you want to insult me, you might want to actually present an arguement next time, because you fight like a liberal ... and unlike you, I pointed out what you did that was liberalesque.

Rainman,

You appear to be afflicted with, what I call, the "rightness" disease.

That's a simple way of saying, YOU are totally committed to proving that YOU are RIGHT. Obviously believing that, even though your interpretation and opinion of the catch are in the minority.

I saw what I saw. So did an overwhelming number of other people who agree, including NFL veterans..

You saw what you saw.

I say it was a BAD CALL by a Junior College level referee who was trying his best to operate at a level he wasn't experienced in. ( speed of the game, etc )
I saw Green Bay INTERCEPT the ball

You go on believing whatever YOU want.

I know what I SAW and it DOESN'T agree with your version.

Maybe it has something to do with whoever said, "One man's VISION does NOT lend its WINGS to another"

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.