NFL Rewrites Rule That Nullified Dez Bryant Catch vs. Packers

[shadema]

The Dallas Cowboys' 26-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Jan. 11 was shrouded in controversy after wide receiver Dez Bryant appeared to make a game-saving grab that could have propelled the Cowboys to the NFC Championship Game.

However, the NFL rule regarding the status of a catch prevented the play from being upheld, since Bryant was deemed not to have made what the league referred to as a "football move".

As a result, the NFL has decided to rewrite the rule while maintaining the tenets of the original, according to Fox Sports analyst and former NFL Vice President of Officiating Mike Pereira on Twitter:

A player is considered to be going to the ground if he does not remain upright long enough to demonstrate that he is clearly a runner. 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 until after his initial contact with 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 the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.

As Pereira noted, the term "football move" has now been removed entirely from the list of qualifications necessary for the official to rule a catch complete.

"C'mon man, I think it was a catch," Bryant told reporters following the loss, according to CBSSports.com's Ryan Wilson. "They took it away. ... I wasn't off balance. I was trying to stretch for it and get in the end zone."

Back in March, Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino discussed how the old rule would compare to the new one, which emphasizes that a player is "clearly a runner."

"For years the requirement for a catch is control, both feet and after that the receiver had to have the ball long enough to perform a [football] act," Blandino said, according to CBSSports.com's Will Brinson. "It was that act common to the game, football move, that created some confusion."

ESPN's Trey Wingo remained one of the many detractors of the rule despite the change: http://www.bongdalu.com/2.shtml

[Higga]

Of course they would. Can't have rules that negatively impact "America's Team."

(I actually think its a stupid rule and that was definitely a catch by any definition by Dez, its just funny how they don't change the rule until after the Cowboys get screwed over).

[LAKESHOW]

HOW BOUT DEM COWBOYS!

[RavenMad31]

Of course they would. Can't have rules that negatively impact "America's Team."

(I actually think its a stupid rule and that was definitely a catch by any definition by Dez, its just funny how they don't change the rule until after the Cowboys get screwed over).

More importantly, during the playoffs, you are more likely to have casual fans watching. The rule was stupid and complicated enough to those of us who have watched all our lives, but imagine how ridiculous it looks to someone who hasn't. These are the exact people they are trying to sell their product to. They have us. We'll watch no matter what. The last thing you need is a potential customer turning off their TV saying, "this game doesn't even make any sense."

[Froob]

And as soon as it helps the Patriots win a game it will be reverted.

[High 5]

Of course they would. Can't have rules that negatively impact "America's Team."

(I actually think its a stupid rule and that was definitely a catch by any definition by Dez, its just funny how they don't change the rule until after the Cowboys get screwed over).

Unless I'm reading it wrong, they didn't actually change the rule, they just changed the way it was written. The vague "football move" part is what confused people. So it still wouldn't be considered a catch.

[bluejerseyjinx]

Of course they would. Can't have rules that negatively impact "America's Team."

(I actually think its a stupid rule and that was definitely a catch by any definition by Dez, its just funny how they don't change the rule until after the Cowboys get screwed over).

Don't understand why so many Cowboys fans are upset with the call frankly. We were not expected to get as far as they did last year. For me it was a pleasant surprise to go that far and finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if that would have been ruled a catch, there was still over 2:00 minutes left in the game for Rodgers to do his thing vs. our suspect defense. Cowboys lost the game in their previous possession when the O-line opened up a huge hole Murray, only for the mud turtle to get 10 yards downfield before he was stripped of the ball and fumbled. Cowboys were up at the time, and could have put a world of hurt on the Packers if they would have score there and not turned the ball over. Then the Dez situation would have never happened. Instead it would have been total clock management, keep Rodgers off the field, force the packers to use all their timeouts, take as much time off the clock and kick the field goal. MURRAY COST THE COWBOYS THE GAME,NOT THE OFFICIALS. jmho.

[RavenMad31]

Of course they would. Can't have rules that negatively impact "America's Team."

(I actually think its a stupid rule and that was definitely a catch by any definition by Dez, its just funny how they don't change the rule until after the Cowboys get screwed over).

Don't understand why so many Cowboys fans are upset with the call frankly. We were not expected to get as far as they did last year. For me it was a pleasant surprise to go that far and finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if that would have been ruled a catch, there was still over 2:00 minutes left in the game for Rodgers to do his thing vs. our suspect defense. Cowboys lost the game in their previous possession when the O-line opened up a huge hole Murray, only for the mud turtle to get 10 yards downfield before he was stripped of the ball and fumbled. Cowboys were up at the time, and could have put a world of hurt on the Packers if they would have score there and not turned the ball over. Then the Dez situation would have never happened. Instead it would have been total clock management, keep Rodgers off the field, force the packers to use all their timeouts, take as much time off the clock and kick the field goal. MURRAY COST THE COWBOYS THE GAME,NOT THE OFFICIALS. jmho.

I'm probably as guilty of it as anyone, but it's refreshing when a fan holds his own team to task when they come up short instead of blaming officials or soft balls. If you don't put teams away on your own terms, you leave the door open to things like officials' interpretations in key, late game situations.

[Froob]

The whole "football move" thing is subjective and inconsistent with the rules. You don't see a catch waved off when a wide out catches it before going out of bounds because he didn't complete a "football move" whatever that is. Honestly, I've seen that catch a million times and I still think the Cowboys got screwed.

[High 5]

The whole "football move" thing is subjective and inconsistent with the rules. You don't see a catch waved off when a wide out catches it before going out of bounds because he didn't complete a "football move" whatever that is. Honestly, I've seen that catch a million times and I still think the Cowboys got screwed.

You don't need a "football move" if you hold onto the ball.

[RavenMad31]

The whole "football move" thing is subjective and inconsistent with the rules. You don't see a catch waved off when a wide out catches it before going out of bounds because he didn't complete a "football move" whatever that is. Honestly, I've seen that catch a million times and I still think the Cowboys got screwed.

You don't need a "football move" if you hold onto the ball.

That's very true. However, a running back can poke the slightest nose of the ball over the plane of the goal line and immediately fumble the living **** out of it for a TD, but a WR can snag a ball in his hands with instant full control, land both feet in the end zone, go to the ground breaking his fall with one hand, hit the ground and if the ball pops out, it's not a TD. It doesn't look right and doesn't look consistent to the casual fan.