Originally Posted by
Tned
1. I definitely think they could rethink the ball hitting the ground. It used to be if it hit the ground it was no catch, now they determine if the ground helped with the catch, and it's not even as black and white as it was a few years ago which is did it move when it hit the ground. Now, we are even seeing movement and them still deeming the receiver had control. So, one option is reverting to the old rule, which is if the receivers hands aren't between the ball and the ground, then no catch.
2. Sideline/endzone sideline, get rid of the "football move" and control after hitting the ground and instead make it possession and two feet down, period, on the sideline. If you have control, get two feet down and go to the ground and when you slam the back of your head against the ground the ball comes out, it's still a TD (or catch on a sideline play outside the endzone). Basically, in the endzone, possession and two feed down is a catch, period and same going out of bounds on the sideline and it doesn't matter what happens when you land out of bounds.
3. In the field of play, when becoming a runner after catching the ball, revert to the old rule of possession and two steps. If you get blown up and lose the ball after one step, incomplete. If after two steps, fumble.
4. In the field of play, when catching the ball, but not taking two steps, if you catch the ball and then go to the ground and are in possession when your knee or other part of the body that would equal being down, then it's a catch and play is over if you've been touched. Likewise, if you have the ball, have both feet down and don't take two steps, but the ref deems forward progress has stopped, then it's a catch.
5. In the endzone (not going out of bounds), if you catch the ball and have two feet down, it's a TD, period. If they are going to the ground and have control when both feet hit or any other body part that would equate to being down (a butt cheek), then it's a TD, even if you lose the ball after the "ground causes the fumble."
On two and five above, some can argue that it wasn't really control if the ground knocked it out, but that's the rabbit hole that started this tortured mess of annually "tweaking" the catch rule. It needs to be simplified and clear so that the refs can more consistently call it and when we have ex heads of referees on network TV, they can say with certainty how the replay is going to come out. The fact they get it wrong half the time tells us that the rule is so screwed up that it can't be called consistently by the refs on the field.
An imperfect rule, that can be administered uniformly around the league and that fans understand, is far better than the current approach of trying to come up with a perfect rule, which has led to great inconsistency in calls and reviews.