What is a catch?

[ezekiel23]

(01-23-2023, 10:57 AM)Tomkat Wrote: This is not sour grapes, I'm genuinely curious.
Can someone find in the rule book exactly what a catch is?
The only reason I ask is because in a game (last week? - I can't remember exactly) a receiver made a catch along the sideline, got THREE feet (steps) inbounds, then was hit and lost control once he hit the ground. The rules guy (Gene Steratore?) said that at that point, the ground was no longer a factor, because of the three steps. There may have been something about a "football move" but I'm not 100% certain.

Anyhow... AT WHAT POINT does the ground (or a defender knocking the ball loose) no longer matter? Is it 3 steps... 4.... 5?
Are the rules different for sideline vs end zone?

For what it's worth, I can totally understand why the call was overturned - as both of Chase's hands were off the ball at one point.
My question is... at what point should that no longer matter?

Chase caught that ball.Watch it back in super slow mo.He secured it to his chest with his left arm before he went out of bounds.

I’ve always hated this rule that the NFL has as a confirmed catch.If the player comes down with the ball in his hands,while confirming that the ball was caught inbounds,It should be a catch.

I don’t care if there is a little spinning of the ball on the way down.When all is done,and the ball is in his hands at the completion of the play,assuming it doesn’t hit the ground,then it’s a catch.

(Of course,the NFL isn’t going to see it that way.)