Roger Goodell 'concerned' with catch rule, pushing for change

[redseat]

'Concerned' Goodell wants catch rule changed

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is pushing to change the league's notorious catch rule this offseason, a response to nearly a decade of complaints from coaches, players and fans about its counterintuitive nature.

"I'm not just somewhat concerned [about the rule]," Goodell said in an interview with FS1's "The Herd with Colin Cowherd." "I am concerned."

 

[redseat]

I don't know why but just looking at his face in the tweet makes me break out in laughter

 

[williewilliejuan]

I just have problems with a rule that says someone didn’t catch a ball that they clearly did.

 

[redseat]

"You want there to be clarity from an officiating standpoint and a coaching and player standpoint," Goodell said. "... I think here you might have clarity in a large element of it, but what happens is that it's not the rule that people really want."

Details of the league's plan to tweak the rule are not yet clear. But Goodell indicated it will focus on instances like the James play -- or those involving Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant in previous years -- where receivers initially appear to have control of the ball while falling the ground. An operating theory, Goodell said, will be the idea that "fans want catches."

 

[Manster7588]

I don't know why but just looking at his face in the tweet makes me break out in laughter

That circle is quite funny.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

I don't know why but just looking at his face in the tweet makes me break out in laughter

I'm sure he's really looking forward to another Foxboro visit to kick off next season.

 

[redseat]

I just have problems with a rule that says someone didn’t catch a ball that they clearly did.

Not when someone else looks at it with super slo mo and 18 billion different angles.. LOL... (just being a jerk) but I agree with you

 

[redseat]

I'm sure he's really looking forward to another Foxboro visit to kick off next season.

That's his constipated look

 

[redseat]

"I hope we'll be able to address this in a way that will bring more clarity and frankly more excitement to this," Goodell said.

 

[williewilliejuan]

Not when someone else looks at it with super slo mo and 18 billion different angles.. LOL... (just being a jerk) but I agree with you

Even with the super slow mo, who cares if the ball moves? If you caught it, you caught it.

 

[redseat]

Even with the super slow mo, who cares if the ball moves? If you caught it, you caught it.

Bingo! As long as you have your hands around it why should that matter?

 

[PatsFanInColtsCountry]

Keep the replay, keep the multiple views... but run it a live speed, no slo-mo. The "bang bang" aspect of the game is a big part of it.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Even with the super slow mo, who cares if the ball moves? If you caught it, you caught it.

The point being to keep it off the ground. And I think it's more of what constitutes possession.

Once the ground gets into play though it becomes slippery.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

You got to leave some of the interpretation of the rule up to the referee.

 

[boogiewithstu2007]

I"m sure Goodell will support anything that helps the offense.... Gotta get those casual fans interested in those high flying touchdowns...

 

[GhostOfPoverty]

I distinctly recall an Adam Theilen TD catch being overturned in the Vikings/Panthers game this season in a play that could potentially have changed how the rest of that game played out. It was clear as day to everyone that he caught the ball. But because he lost control of it AFTER completing the catch and hitting the ground with his body and sliding a bit, they took it away after review. I believe the Vikings would have maintained the #1 seed over Philly had they won that game, which makes it a pretty big deal.

It's stuff like that, along with many other examples we've seen, that make the game difficult to watch. The way refs are handling the catch rule is right up there with the tuck rule. So an RB/QB can dive to the end zone while getting just the very end tip of the ball to cross the plane with the ball several feet up in the air and land well behind the end zone after the tackle is completed, and it's an unquestionable TD - the player can even fumble it by getting the ball swatted out of his hands as he's trying to reach the ball across the plane, and it will still count as a TD just as long as the tip of the ball barely crosses that plane. But a receiver makes a catch with both feet/entire body in bounds, and it's not a catch if he bobbles it a couple seconds after successfully coming down with it?

 

[night]

I feel like referees calling plays dead that they shouldn't have makes a bigger impact on game changing moments.

 

[redseat]

I"m sure Goodell will support anything that helps the offense.... Gotta get those casual fans interested in those high flying touchdowns...

if so then every TD would be considered a catch

 

[ArlingtonCowboys100]

So Mr goodell: you were not concerned when dez bryant and the Cowboys were screwed out of a NFC championship game appearance, but since the steelers got screwed in a regular season game you are all of a sudden concerned? Go Fuck you self goodell#!

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

So Mr goodell: you were not concerned when dez bryant and the Cowboys were screwed out of a NFC championship game appearance, but since the steelers got screwed in a regular season game you are all of a sudden concerned? Go Fuck you self goodell#!

Wait till it happens to the Pats, the rule would be changed during the actual game