Complete Pass
ARTICLE 6. Any forward pass is complete when caught by a player of the passing team who is inbounds, and the ball continues in play unless completed in the opponent’s end zone or the pass has been caught simultaneously by opposing players. If a forward pass is caught simultaneously by opposing players inbounds, the ball becomes dead and belongs to the passing team (Rules 2-4-3 and 2-4-4).
Approved Ruling 2-4-3 III. Airborne A3 receives a pass at Team A’s 40-yard line. While still airborne, he is contacted by B1 and comes to the ground out of bounds with the ball at Team A’s 37-yard line. RULING: Incomplete pass (Rule 7-3-7a).
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 I. Two opposing players receive a legal forward pass while both are off the ground, and both players return to the ground inbounds at the same time. RULING: Simultaneous catch; the ball is awarded to the passing team (Rule 2-4-4).
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 II. Two opposing players receive a ball while both are off the ground, and one player returns to the ground inbounds before the other. RULING: No simultaneous catch. The legal forward pass is completed or intercepted by the player who first returned to the ground (Rule 2-4-4).
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 III. An inbounds airborne player receives a legal forward pass. While still in the air, he is tackled by an opponent and obviously held for a moment before being carried in any direction. He then lands inbounds or out of bounds with the ball. RULING: Completed pass. The ball is dead at the yard line where the receiver/interceptor was held in a manner that prevented him from immediately returning to the ground (Rule 4-1-3p).
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 IV. Airborne A80 receives a legal forward pass at his 30-yard line. While still in the air, he is tackled by B40 and driven forward to Team A’s 34-yard line, where he is downed. RULING: Team A’s ball at its 34-yard line (Rule 5-1-3a).
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 V. Airborne A80 receives a legal forward pass at his 30-yard line. While still in the air, he is tackled by B40 and driven backward to Team A’s 26-yard line, where the ball becomes dead. RULING: Team A’s ball at the 30-yard line (Rule 5-1-3a Exception).
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 VI. A86 is legally blocked out of bounds by B18 at Team B’s two-yard line. A86, while attempting an immediate return to the field of play, leaps from out of bounds and is airborne as he receives A16’s legal forward pass. He lands in Team B’s end zone with the ball in his grasp. RULING: Incomplete pass. A86 did not establish in bounds before touching the pass, and hence he was still out of bounds. (Rule 2-27-15)
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 VII. B33 leaps from in bounds and is airborne as he receives Team A’s legal forward pass. He completes the interception by landing (a) in the field of play or (b) in Team B’s end zone, and is then tackled. RULING: B33 is a ball carrier until he loses player possession or the ball becomes dead by rule. (a) First and 10 for Team B. (b) Touchback. (Rules 4-1-3c, 4-2-3a, 5-1-1e and 7-3-4).
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 VIII. While airborne and in bounds, eligible receiver A89 touches a forward pass when he propels it toward: (a) eligible receiver A80, who catches the pass; or (b) B27, who intercepts the pass. RULING: Legal play, and the ball remains live in both (a) and (b). A89 has batted a forward pass (Rules 2-4-3, 2-11-3 and 9-4-1a).
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 IX. Airborne receiver A85 grasps a forward pass and in the process of going to the ground, first contacts the ground with his left foot as he falls to the ground inbounds. Immediately upon A85 hitting the ground, the ball comes loose and touches the ground. RULING: Incomplete pass. An airborne receiver must maintain control of the ball while going to the ground in the process of completing a catch.
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 X. Airborne receiver A85 grasps a forward pass and in the process of going to the ground, first contacts the ground with his left foot as he falls to the ground inbounds. Immediately upon A85 hitting the ground, the ball comes loose but never touches the ground before he regains control. RULING: Catch. If the receiver is inbounds and is going to the ground and loses control, as long as the player remains inbounds and the ball never touches the ground, it is a completed pass.
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 XI. Airborne receiver A85 grasps a forward pass and in the process of going to the ground, first contacts the ground with his left foot inbounds as he falls to the ground out of bounds. Immediately upon A85 hitting the ground out of bounds, the ball comes loose. RULING: Incomplete pass regardless of whether or not the ball hits the ground because the receiver is out of bounds.
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 XII. Receiver A85 stretches out at the Team B two-yard line and grasps a forward pass and is going to the ground on his own as he is attempting to complete the catch. As A85 falls to the ground in the end zone, the ball immediately comes loose and falls to the ground. RULING: Incomplete pass. Any receiver going to the ground on his own in the process of making a catch must maintain control of the ball when he hits the ground.
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 XIII. Receiver A85 is airborne and in bounds in the end zone and grasps a forward pass, but while airborne he is hit by a defender, which causes A85 to fall to the ground. Immediately upon A85 hitting the ground, the ball comes loose and strikes the ground. RULING: Incomplete pass. An airborne receiver contacted before completing all the requirements of a catch must still maintain control of the ball after hitting the ground.
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 XIV. Eligible A80 is airborne when he receives a legal forward pass. He grasps the ball firmly in his hands, and as he is returning toward the ground, the nose of the football touches the ground before any part of his body. A80 retains his firm control of the ball and it does not move during this action. A80’s knees then touch the ground and he maintains control of the ball. RULING: Completed pass.
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 XV. Eligible A80 is airborne near the sideline when he receives a legal forward pass. As he comes to the ground facing the field of play, his toe (a) clearly drags the ground inbounds before he falls out of bounds; (b) touches the ground inbounds and then his heel comes down on the sideline in a continuous motion. He maintains firm control of the ball in both cases. RULING: (a) Complete pass. (b) Incomplete pass. The continuous toe-heel touching is part of a single process and by interpretation he has landed out of bounds, thus not executing a catch.
Approved Ruling 7-3-6 XVI. Defender B21 is airborne near the sideline when he gains firm control of a legal forward pass and lands with both feet inbounds and is down. When B21 jumped from the sideline area, his left heel was out of bounds, and he jumped with a single process with the heel coming off the ground just before the toes. Ruling: Incomplete pass as airborne B21 remains an out of bounds player until he touches the ground inbounds without simultaneously being out of bounds. If the toe or heel is out of bounds when a player starts a continuous heel-toe or toe-heel process of jumping, the player is out of bounds and has not re-established inbounds.
