When I try explaining the wonder that is football to my uninitiated friends the phrase I use most often is “imagine chess played with gladiators”. It’s a hugely technical and tactical game, punctuated by incredible feats of human performance. Having played the game myself, I have some tiny experience of how fast the action unfolds on the field in between the snap of the ball and the whistle. It’s crazy, but it’s a pure adrenaline rush and it’s easy to see why football is such a great game.
Which brings me to the point of the article, one of the most basic things about football is catching a ball. We all do it even if it’s playing catch during a backyard BBQ or with friends and family in the park. Not only has the game been watered down for Defense and the players having to take time to think if the player who, possibly, just caught the ball is fair game to be hit! Has he established himself on the field? Has he made a footballing move (whatever that is)? Is he defenseless? Has he lowered his head because I don’t want to be accused of targeting and get ejected and fined and probably suspended?
You get the idea!
Now we can’t even be really sure if a player has made a physics defying catch or the pass, maybe touchdown, will be ruled incomplete.
The new rule is supposed to simplify what is and what isn’t a catch and after the Bert Emmanuel Rule it needed some work. But, like so much in the NFL, it is so open to interpretation! This isn’t going to remove any talk of “the big teams” getting favourable calls, if anything it’ll be worse.
I’m sure that the phenomenon of confirmation bias is in play, but certain teams definitely seem to benefit from judgement calls. From a fan point of view the new rule leaves too much to the interpretation of whether or not a player has established possession of the football or if that jarring hit caused a fumble or incomplete pass.
It will make an interesting case study when the same outcome of events is called differently in a game.
