Possession Is Possession… Bill LeMonnier (Big Ten/ESPN) What’s your definition of possession? Do you have one definition for possession or do you have three definitions of possession depending on whether it’s a pass, kick or potential fumble/loose ball recovery? Too often we see different standards set for a pass than we do on a kick or loose ball recovery. Overall we tend to be solid and consistent on our judgments for what’s a catch v. incomplete or what’s a catch v. a fumble. Our consistency in ruling that the “process of the catch” has been completed before ruling a fumble has been excellent. We’ve made the receiver demonstrate that he can do something common to the game… make a football type move. When the receiver hasn’t completed the process of the catch, it’s simply an incomplete pass. More times than not the tight, bang-­‐bang type play is going to be incomplete. The buzz term the past few seasons has been making the player show a “second act”. Simply put this is a receiver in control of the pass who lunges, stretches out, or purposely changes direction in an attempt to reach a line–to-­‐gain or a goal line. Maybe the receiver is turning up field or putting a move on a defender. Whatever the act, it’s something you see purposely done while controlling the football. Also keep these terms in mind and understand they always don’t mean the same thing… control, possession, or secured. Choose your words wisely when describing these things to other officials or a coach. Possession is securing and controlling a loose ball, having a foot or body part down inbounds AND showing the ability to do something common to the game. A player may secure the loose ball/pass in the air but he hasn’t completed the process of the catch until a body part touches inbounds and maintains control of the ball, whether he remains upright, is going to the ground or trying to survive contact. Too often we interchange these terms, which leads to a contradiction. You can’t possess a pass, drop it and then have an incomplete pass. If the receiver possessed the pass then when he loses or drops the ball (not the pass), it becomes a fumble. You may have secured or controlled the pass then dropped it due to contact or going to the ground but you didn’t possess the pass. This action results in an incomplete pass. Now let’s move to possession of a kick or fumble… We recommend you use the same criteria for establishing possession in these scenarios. A muffed kick is identical to an incomplete pass except that the ball remains live. Treat this play just like a pass… the kick return receiver must demonstrate control of the ball, be inbounds and be able to be in a position to make a second act… do something common to the game. If he does this than when the ball comes out, rule a fumble. Otherwise you have a muffed kick. Just don’t blow your whistle like you would on an incomplete pass. What’s the major impact on ruling a muffed kick versus a fumble? Only the ability of the kicking team to recover & advance or simply recover the loose ball. Fumbles and other loose ball situations need to be handled the same way… in order to complete the recovery the player must control the loose ball and then get a body part down inbounds. Included in that control the recovering player must survive a hit and survive the ground. I saw an example of this a few seasons back when Team A was punting from the A-­‐40. Team B blocked the kick with both teams muffing the blocked kick (loose ball) behind the line of scrimmage. The ball took a nice bounce right into the hands of a Team B player 5-­‐7 yards behind the line of scrimmage. He controlled the ball but was immediately hit and the ball was back on the ground and recovered by Team A at the A-­‐
33. Rule this a fumble by Team B and recovery by Team A and you have a 1st & 10 for Team A after a 7-­‐yard loss on a 4th down play. Rule this a muffed loose ball recovered by Team B and it’s Team B’s ball, 1st & 10 @ 33-­‐yard line. Not much at stake for either team, just possession of the ball late in the 3rd quarter of a one score game. The crew conferenced and decided this was a fumble recovery giving Team A 1st & 10. After the game I asked the covering officials “had this been a pass and the Team B player lost it just like he did on this punt play, what would you have… a catch & fumble or an incomplete pass?” They immediately said it would have been an incomplete pass. The next words out of their mouths were “We kicked it!” You need only one definition for possession… possession is possession! During a loose ball/fumble recovery near the sideline, a player may “secure” the loose ball, touch inbounds and then land out-­‐of-­‐bounds. The actual time inbounds with a secured football was in the blink of an eye. Is this a fumble recovery or a fumble that is now out of bounds? Again, treat this like the pass play… did the player maintain control of the ball as he continued out of bounds or to the ground out of bounds? If so, it’s a fumble recovery. If not, it’s a fumble out of bounds. So if you want consistency, use one definition for possession rather than three. If you do that it will make it easier to officiate and correct me if I’m wrong but no matter what the rules code, the “book” only defines possession once… apply it to all three situations. NCAA…
SECTION 4. Catch, Recovery, Possession
ARTICLE 1. Possession refers to custody of (a) a live ball as described later in this article
and (b) a dead ball to be snapped or free-kicked. It may refer either to player
possession or team possession.
a. Player PossessionThe ball is in player possession when a player has the ball firmly in
his grasp by holding or controlling it while contacting the ground inbounds.
Catch, Interception, Recovery
ARTICLE 3. a. To catch a ball means that a player:
1. Secures control of a live ball in flight with his hands or arms before the ball
touches the ground, and
2. Touches the ground in bounds with any part of his body, and then
3. Maintains control of the ball long enough to enable him to perform an act
common to the game, i.e., long enough to pitch or hand the ball, advance it, avoid
or ward off an opponent, etc., and
4. Satisfies paragraphs b, c, and d below.
b. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without
contact by an opponent) he must maintain complete and continuous control of
the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of
play or in the end zone. This is also required for a player attempting to make a
catch at the sideline and going to the ground out of bounds. If he loses control
of the ball which then touches the ground before he regains control, it is not a
catch. If he regains control inbounds prior to the ball touching the ground it is a
catch.
c. If the player loses control of the ball while simultaneously touching the ground
with any part of his body, or if there is doubt that the acts were simultaneous, it
is not a catch. If a player has control of the ball, a slight movement of the ball,
even if it touches the ground, will not be considered loss of possession; he must
lose control of the ball in order for there to be a loss of possession
d. If the ball touches the ground after the player secures control and continues to
maintain control, and the elements above are satisfied, it is a catch.
e. An interception is a catch of an opponent’s pass or fumble.
f. A catch by any kneeling or prone inbounds player is a completion or
interception (Rules 7-3-6 and 7).
g. A player recovers a ball if he fulfills the criteria in paragraphs a, b, c, and d for
catching a ball that is still alive after hitting the ground.
h. When in question, the catch, recovery or interception is not completed.