Rule 7-3-9-c - "in a position to receive a catchable forward pass"

[#92]

Defensive players legally may contact opponents who have crossed the neutral zone if the opponents are not in a position to receive a catchable forward pass.

What should we understand as "in a position to receive a catchable forward pass"? Is this a receiver turned to the QB, expecting the ball?

Or also a receiver running in a spot to which the QB might just throw the ball, and the receiver might just catch it if he is going to look back just in time? A receiver running a curl (4) route for example.

If we also interpret the second example as "in a position to receive a catchable forward pass", where do we draw the line? What would then constitute a receiver NOT in a position to receive a catchable forward pass"?


I am of course talking about blocks that occur in accordance to Rule 9-3-4-e, which actually leads me to interpret Rule 7-3-9-c as to ruling the receiver running the curl route as NOT "in a position to receive a catchable forward pass".

Defensive players may ward off or legally block an eligible pass receiver until that player occupies the same yard line as the defender or until the opponent could not possibly block him. Continuous contact is illegal (A.R. 9-3-5-I).

[ljudge]

This has to do with contact by a defender while a forward pass is in flight, not one that might be in flight because a pass play is developing.  This rule is just specifying that if a defender contacts a receiver while a pass is in flight he can only do so if the pass is not catchable to that particular receiver.  Some examples (all during a forward pass):

1)  the ball is thrown to a receiver on the other side of the field
2)  the ball is "in orbit" (make it be VERY uncatchable)
3)  the ball is thrown to the receiver being contacted but is severely underthrown that there's no way in heck he could even come back to the ball and catch it.

When you look to call PI make sure you can put what you see in a "bucket" AND when you see one of the following make sure it clearly restricts him (in other words, **"takes something away).

1)  Early contact not playing the ball
2)  Grab/hold of receiver's hand/arm
3)  Cutting the receiver's route off while not playing the ball
4)  Hooking and turning the receiver while in flight
5)  Putting up an "arm bar" as the receiver attempts to run by the defender
6)  Playing through the back of the receiver (even if playing the ball)

** - so if a defender isn't looking back to the ball (and the receiver is) and the defender does nothing more than put his hand on the shoulder of the receiver (referring to bullet #1) it's not "automatic" PI.  Make sure there's real material restriction.  When a T/A (or coach) asks why you had PI you can easily tell him what bucket the contact falls in and why/how it took something away.   Be able to "describe" how the contact was a restriction.