NFL considers simplification of catch rule

ORLANDO, Fla. — That’s a catch. Mention the names Calvin Johnson, Dez Bryant, Zach Miller and Jesse James, and what looked, sounded and felt like a catch wasn’t one. If NFL owners pass a proposal from the powerful competition committee, those will be receptions in the future.

According to committee chairman Rich Mckay and league officiating director Al Riveron, it’s time.

“We want to take these great catches and make them into catches,” Riveron said Monday at the NFL meetings, where the owners likely will vote Tuesday on the adjustments to the catch rule.

Such phrases as “slight movement of the ball” and “surviving the ground” will disappear, and fans, players and coaches will get the fulfilment of knowing what they were sure was a reception actually is.

The committee looked at dozens of plays dozens of times. They discovered that the previous attempts to clarify what is a catch only confused the issue. So much so that the language of the rules was getting in the way of making the proper call.

“Every time, we tried to add language to cure a situation,” said Mckay, president of the Atlanta Falcons “and that did not serve us well.

“We felt like the word slight was getting people caught up. It’s really loss of control. If you lose control of the ball, then you haven’t satisfied (the process). If you have movement of the ball but haven’t lost control of it, then you still have it.”

Added Riveron: “If we see total loss of control, that’s the way we’re going to rule it.

But we understand there are situations where the ball is going to move. We have to see loss of control.”

With the proposal, a receiver must: Have control of the ball.

Get two feet down or another body part.

Make a football move, such as taking a third step or extending the ball or something similar.