What is a catch?
NFL owners put a new answer to that question Tuesday morning by approving a proposal from the competition committee that re-defined the catch rule. Teams unanimously approved the rule, which Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh helped craft.
The new rule defines a catch based on the following criteria:
1. Control of the football
2. Two feet, or another body part inbounds
3. A football move (ex. A third step, extending the football, tucking the football)
The new rule removes the element of time from the equation and also removes the language that a receiver must “complete the process of the catch through the ground,” which led to plenty of controversial calls in recent years.