New Interpretation Hidden in Replay Case Book?

[Legacy Zebra]

The rule book and replay case book are not available online yet, but if you've registered for the CFO, you may have gotten yours. I was flipping through and looking for blue shading when a brand new replay case caught my eye. Number 75 for those of you with your book. Here it is, emphasis added:

First and 10 on the A-20. A22 runs the A-25, where he loses the football on the way to the ground but regains control prior to his right knee touching down. The ball comes loose after the knee hits and B25 recovers at the A-27. Officials rule fumble and give possession to Team B. RULING: Reviewable play, regarding whether there was a fumble or the runner was down. Reverse to down, A 2-5 on A-25. If a ball carrier loses control of the football on the way to the ground but regains it prior to a body part other than a hand or foot touching down he is down by rule.


If I read this play without the ruling, I would have said fumble all the way. A22 lost possession other than by passing, kicking, or handing which is a fumble. He then did not meet all the requirements of catching or recovering a fumble because he did not maintain control of the loose ball when he hit the ground. I haven't found anything in the rule book that would indicate this change, only in the replay case. So the question is, does this apply to non-replay scenarios as well? One of y'all may need to send another email to Shaw.

[dammitbobby]

Maybe I'm not envisioning this correctly, but here's what I see in my mind:

First and 10 on the A-20. A22 runs the A-25, where he loses the football on the way to the ground but regains control prior to his right knee touching down. The ball comes loose after the knee hits and B25 recovers at the A-27. Officials rule fumble and give possession to Team B. RULING:

How do we have a fumble, if the ball was lost after the knee was down, therefore the run was over?  I'm sure I am just mis-visualizing this

[Legacy Zebra]

He lost control on the way to the ground, regained control before hitting the ground, and then lost it again when he hit the ground.

[dammitbobby]

But the case play reads 'regains control prior to his right knee touching down.' Not that possession was lost when he hit the ground. (i.e., simultaneous.)

[Kalle]

But the case play reads 'regains control prior to his right knee touching down.' Not that possession was lost when he hit the ground. (i.e., simultaneous.)

Correct. But the previous interpretation was that if an airborne player loses possession of the ball in the air and then regains control before hitting the ground, this was considered a recovery, and the recovery must "survive the ground." TBH this is usually really hard to see in full speed, so I don't think there is anything to apply for non-replay games.

[dammitbobby]

makes total sense, thanks.