How do NFL officials determine a pass is caught? What to know about the complex rule
If you’re a long-time football fan, it’s likely you’ve been in a debate whether a player actually made a catch.
And it may happen this postseason.
Picture a late-game drive, your team is facing third down and long, down 7 points and in dire need of a big play.
Your quarterback heaves a deep pass and before the receiver hauls it in, he bobbles it and his body slams into the turf.
A discussion with outside voices erupts inside your home. And no matter how good his homemade salsa may be, you regret inviting over your friend who’s a fan of the opposing team.
And if you’re a newcomer to the sport, how the rule book explains a “catch” might leave you with more questions than answers.
So to help alleviate some head scratching, here’s a look at what officials will look for to determine if that deep ball was “complete,” “incomplete,” or “intercepted.”
Completed or intercepted pass
First, let’s start with a few definitions for the newcomers. A forward pass is a pass that goes past the line of scrimmage, or where the ball is at the start of a play.
A forward pass is completed by the offense, intercepted by the defense, or determined to be incomplete if no player caught the ball.
Officials look for the same criteria for a completion or interception, and both are defined as a “catch.” Here’s what they look for, according to Rule 8, section 1, article 3 of the NFL rule book:
- a) The player secures control of the ball in his hands or arms before the ball touches the ground; and
- b) touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands; and
- c) after (a) and (b) have been fulfilled, performs any act common to the game (e.g. tuck the ball away, extend it forward, take an additional step, turn up field, or avoid or ward off an opponent), or maintains control of the ball long enough to do so.
There are caveats to these guidelines. A player must be inbounds to make a catch, and what it means to “secure” the ball and “maintain control of the ball” have been points of contention among football fans for years.
Here are some other things to consider when trying to determine if a catch was made, as outlined by the rule book:
- Movement of the ball does not automatically mean a player lost control of it.
- If a player, who secured the ball inbounds hits the ground and loses control of the ball, it is an incomplete pass if the ball hits the ground before they regain control, or if they regain control out of bounds.
- A receiver is considered a player in a defenseless posture (See 12-2-7) throughout the entire process of the catch and until the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent. (It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact to a defenseless player).
- If a pass is caught at the same time by two opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passing team. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control. If the ball is muffed after simultaneous touching by two such players, all the players of the passing team become eligible to catch the loose ball.
- If a player, who is in possession of the ball, is held up and carried out of bounds by an opponent before both feet or any part of his body other than his hands touches the ground inbounds, it is a completed or intercepted pass. It is not necessary for the player to maintain control of the ball when he lands out of bounds.
- If any part of a player’s foot hits out of bounds during the normal continuous motion of taking a step (heel-toe or toe-heel) then the foot is out of bounds. A player is inbounds if he drags his foot, or if there is a delay between the heel-toe or toe-heel touching the ground.
To further illustrate these rulings, the NFL has a video rule book that shows examples and what the ruling would be in each scenario.
OK, now that we have a handle of what it means to make a catch, how do officials rule that a pass is incomplete?
Incomplete pass
A pass is incomplete when the guidelines for a “catch” — outlined above — are not met, according to the NFL rule book in Rule 8, Section 1, Article 4.
An incomplete pass results in a loss of down and the ball returns to the previous spot where the play began.
Any forward pass is incomplete and the ball is dead (meaning the play is over) immediately if the pass strikes the ground or goes out of bounds. An incomplete pass results in a loss of down, and the ball returns to the previous spot, the rule book states.
A pass is also incomplete if a player is the first to touch a pass after having been out of bounds, but prior to reestablishing himself inbounds with both feet or any body part other than his hands.
Additionally, if the ball goes out of bounds after a pass before anyone else touches it, then it is incomplete.
If there is any question whether a forward pass is complete, intercepted or incomplete, it is to be ruled incomplete, according to the rule book. This means if it is ever unclear whether a player caught the ball, officials should rule it an incomplete pass.
This story was originally published January 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
