A receiver is about 3 yards from the sideline and makes a jump catch of the ball.
As soon as he catches it, the CB grabs hold of him in the air and then proceeds to carry him out of bounds.
The WR never touches the ground in bounds and the CB had to take at least, say 4 steps to carry the WR out of bounds.
Before the rule change of forcing a receiver out of bounds, it would have been a catch.
But what about now?
And what if we exaggerate the circumstances.
What if the WR jumped for the ball around 10 yards from the sideline and the CB literally carried him 8 steps out of bounds?
Catch or no catch?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this!
That's the answer out of 345 Park Ave.
That's different than a hit or tackle that carries the play out of bounds.
If no part of your body touches the ground before you wind up out of bounds it's not a catch.
A hit, tackle, or push would result in an incompletion IMO.
But "carrying" a guy out of bounds....I'd like to see a play that's happened and called out of bounds.
If a player, who is in possession of the ball, is held up and carried out of bounds by an opponent before both feet or any part of his body other than his hands touches the ground inbounds, it is a completed or intercepted pass. It is not necessary for the player to maintain control of the ball when he lands out of bounds.
If no part of your body touches the ground before you wind up out of bounds it's not a catch.
I'm not sure how yesterday's catch by Dallas is related - if that's the play you refer to? The player wasn't "carried" out of bounds.....and not sure if he was even touched. But if he was it was a push or shove or tackle or even a thrown out of bounds by the Giants defender.
I think we are talking "carry" here, which implies an entirely different situation.
If a player, who is in possession of the ball, is held up and carried out of bounds by an opponent before both feet or any part of his body other than his hands touches the ground inbounds, it is a completed or intercepted pass. It is not necessary for the player to maintain control of the ball when he lands out of bounds.
There you go.
And again, I think the idea is your "forward progress" has been stopped...even though you aren't exactly going forward....but the play is in essence over.
That's a catch.