Touchback or momentum exception rule

[The Ref Thats Lef]

Answer and rational

[Kalle]

Looks to me that the catch is completed in the end zone even though the ball is still in the field of play when his foot touches the ground. Touchback.

[Wingmanbp]

I would call Touchback

[BoBo]

I would go Touchback

[NVFOA_Ump]

TB -  Don't believe that he has established possession and control until he's on the ground in the EZ.

[fencewire]

Touchback.

[psv]

Touchback.

[jason]

Touchback.  Generally anything that close you'd give the defense the benefit of the doubt and wouldn't punish them for making a good play by placing the ball at the 1/2 yard line.

[Williams]

I agree that when it is this close it is a touchback.
Also, I did not see a bean bag.

[InsideTheStripes]

Put him in for a touchback.  A nearly identical play was on the preseason training tape.

[mishatx]

TB

[younggun]

TB... if you have to think about it... its a TB

[Rostrom]

It is true that the player must to keep control of the ball when he goes to the ground, but he made the interception when he step on the ground ( 1 1/2 Team B's yard line) , then his momentum carries him to the end zone.
 First down to Team B at the 1 1/2 yarda line.

[clearwall]

Save yourself an BUTT chewing and give him the 20

[Rostrom]

Save yourself an BUTT chewing and give him the 20

that's right...!

[Morningrise]

Seems unanimously TB.

Is that a) because the ball was over the goal line when the player's foot touched down, or b) because he did not firmly grasp the ball until the rest of his body came down?

Pretend this happened at the sideline instead of the goal line - would you have it incomplete? I wouldn't. Therefore I wouldn't say b).

In the olden days, this would either be TB or safety. So officials would fudge their rulings to avoid giving unfair safeties. The momentum rule was written specifically so we wouldn't *have* to fudge our rulings like that.

So I would say, if you have the ball at the half-yard line - or if you're not on the goal line and can't tell for sure - then go ahead and rule TB. But if you know the ball to be at the 1, then do what the rule was specifically created for.