NFL Won't Change Rule After Calvin Johnson Didn't Complete "The Process"

We interrupt your legal jargon-filled labor dispute to update you with actual, on-the-field related football news!

The rule behind the controversial no-catch call that should’ve been called a catch and robbed the Lions of a probable Week 1 win against the Chicago Bears has been reviewed by the NFL. It was not reviewed thoroughly enough, it seems [via Pro Football Talk]:

There will not be a "Calvin Johnson Rule" added to the NFL next year.

According to Bob Glauber of Newsday, the Competition Committee has decided not to amend the current rules about maintaining possession throughout a catch.

That means the rule will remain flawed, as such:

“If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.”

Several people, including the competition committee who decided not to at least re-word this rule, believe it was interpreted properly in Week 1:

"If you read the rule, it’s not a catch," competition committee member John Mara said. "The reason it’s not a catch is you’ve got to control the ball when you hit the ground. It makes it easier to officiate. It’s a bright line that you can draw."

I’ve read the rule, Mr. Mara. Megatron had control of the ball when his arm, then butt hit the ground. It wasn’t easy to officiate, hence the initial touchdown signal and reversal on the field. It’s not a bright line that you can draw. The rule needed to be changed.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled lockout.

Lions Vice Chairman Bill Ford, Jr.: Rule Has To Be Revised

Following last Sunday’s 19-14 loss to the Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions took the proverbial high road and chose not to complain about the controversial ruling that negated a likely game-winning touchdown by Calvin Johnson.

After acknowledging that the Lions had no recourse with the NFL, Jim Schwartz later took to the airwaves and said, "Everybody knows it was a catch."

On Friday, team vice chairman Bill Ford, Jr. spoke his mind on WJR-AM. In an interview with morning host Paul W. Smith, Ford said that the Lions have contacted the NFL regarding the rule and hope the whole controversy will enact some change.

From the Detroit News:

“(The rule) really has to be revised. I’ve already spoken to the league about it,” Ford, Jr. told Smith. “First of all, it’s more cryptic than the Dead Sea Scrolls. The thing is, the game is for the fans. If every fan in America sees that and thinks it’s a touchdown and then they’re told it’s not, then it’s really not playing to the fans at all.”

On one hand, it doesn’t necessarily matter what the fans think. If the call is right, then so be it. But if you’re of the belief that the ruling on Johnson’s catch doesn’t pass the eyeball test (which seems to be the opinion of virtually everyone – fans and media – who saw the play), then Ford’s contention makes more sense.

Revise the rule, incorporate the "second act" exception cited by the NFL V.P. of officiating into the actual wording of the explanation, and make sure an inexplicable play like this doesn’t occur again.

Jim Schwartz: 'Everybody Knows It Was A Catch'

Lions coach Jim Schwartz said all the right things in the aftermath of last Sunday’s controversial call on Calvin Johnson’s catch that wiped out a go-ahead touchdown for Detroit.

For instance, there’s what the coach said on his Twitter account:

Unfortunately, the way the rule is written and officiated, it was ruled an incompletion.

At his press conference the next day, Schwartz refused to get baited into arguing whether the rule that took away Johnson’s catch was open to interpretation:

“I’m sure the league would argue that, and they would say it’s clear-cut and the officials made the right call,” he said. “But again, that’s not up for us as players and coaches. With you and the media, that’s fine. You guys, fans, discuss it at length.”

Maybe Schwartz didn’t want to risk upsetting the NFL, in hopes the league might make some sort of ruling in the Lions’ favor. After a couple of days to stew over the play, however, Schwartz is a bit more bold on the matter.

Here’s what he said to 97.1 Wednesday morning:

“I mean I leave what goes on in our locker room in our locker room. But everybody knows that it was a catch. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at that and say it was a catch. Now, it’s also ruled an incompletion because of the rule. I think if 100 people look at it, 100 people say, ‘Yeah, Calvin caught that ball.’ Calvin made a great play on that play. Shaun made a great throw, Calvin made a great play. That stands. There’s no way that you can take that away from him other than a technicality in the rulebook.”

Actually, that basically echoes what Schwartz said on Monday, as quoted by Tom Kowalski, but most of the furor was over the NFL rulebook and whether changes need to be made.

You can listen to the interview in its entirety here.

(via Pro Football Talk)

Video: Calvin Johnson's Controversial No Catch At End Of Bears Game

If you haven't gotten a chance to see the play involving Calvin Johnson that everybody is talking about, check it out below or at NFL.com.

Controversial Finish Involving Calvin Johnson Stirs Up Debate

In case you have been living under a rock, the Lions lost to the Bears on Sunday by a score of 19-14. In the final 30 seconds of the game, however, it appeared that Calvin Johnson caught a touchdown pass that would have given Detroit the late lead and put them well on their way to opening the season with a win. Johnson went up and caught the ball, landed with both feet inbounds, fell to the ground on his butt and then flipped over and lost control of the ball when he hit it on the ground. Because the officials determined that he didn't complete the entire "process" of the catch, the pass was ruled incomplete.

As expected, this call has generated a lot of controversy, with some believing the rule is the problem, others thinking the interpretation of the rule was botched by the officials and some even thinking that Calvin Johnson was at fault for not knowing that he needed to complete the "process" of the catch. The debate that has emerged over this rule/call quickly became one of the biggest storylines of the first week of the season, as all of the highlight shows were debating it yesterday afternoon/night.

While Lions fans and most football fans believe that Detroit was jobbed by the officials, referee Gene Steratore's explanation is that the correct call was made based on the NFL's rules for a catch.

Q. What is the rule used on the near Detroit touchdown at the end of the game?
A. The ruling is that in order for the catch to be completed he has got to maintain possession of the ball throughout the entire process of the catch.

Q. He was on his behind before he rolled over. If he stayed on his behind would it have been a touchdown?
A. No. We don’t play with the two feet or one knee or anything of that scenario. We’re talking now about the process of the catch. He’s catching the football, as he goes to the ground, he must maintain possession of the ball throughout the entire process. So as he continues to fall if he fell with two feet and his elbow hit the ground and came out it would be incomplete.

Q. It looked like he had the ball up in one hand while on his rear end, but there was continuation?
A. Well, the process was not finished until he finished that roll and the entire process of that catch.

Mike Pereira, the former NFL Vice President of Officiating, backed up the notion that the correct call was made both during and after the game, and Lions head coach Jim Schwartz didn't protest it afterward.

"The officials officiate. They made the call and that’s the way they saw it. When he goes to the ground, as part of the catch and the touchdown, he has to come down with the ball. He didn’t come down with the ball. That play alone didn’t cause us to lose the game."

Calvin Johnson, the player involved in the controversial play, declined to comment on it other than saying, "It is what it is. You have to move on."

The Lions will undoubtedly move on as they shift their concern to Matthew Stafford's health and the Eagles game on Sunday, but fans and media pundits will continue to debate this call in the foreseeable future, as the finish in Chicago is a tough one to swallow for fans and this rule is a very important one to pay attention to for the rest of the NFL.