Report: NFL Assembling Six-Man Committee To Help Determine What Is A Catch

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- It is one of the most basic fundamentals in the sport of football, yet it's transformed into one of the most hotly debated topics in sports.

What in the wide world of sports is a catch?

That's been a question that's seemingly been asked week after week over the past two or three years, and it's a mystery that reached its absolute apex this past January in Green Bay. That's when Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant leaped into the air, caught a Tony Romo pass, landed on his left foot, took a step with his right foot, and fell on his left knee and right wrist in an effort to reach for the goal line. Yet while reaching for the end zone, the ball jarred the ball loose in his hand, forcing him to briefly bobble the ball before regaining possession while on the ground.

For the 100 years previous, it was a catch. But in the day and age where every single pixel is examined in ultra-slow-motion, the catch was overturned after a replay review. The Cowboys ended up losing, ending their season, and Dez's catch/non-catch has become an Internet meme that remains commonly used through the current day. Eleven months is a relative eternity in Internet popularity terms.

This season, it's been no picnic for NFL officials to determine in live action and in replay review what exactly is a catch, and so the league is going to try to do something about it.

According to USA Today's Jarrett Bell, the NFL has assembled a six-man brain trust to try to lay the foundation to properly determine what is and is not a catch.

It sounds simple in theory, sure, but is there any way these men emerge from hours upon hours of meetings with a simplified solution?

The members of that panel, according to Bell, are former receiver James Thrash; former head coaches Joe Philbin, Ken Whisenhunt and Jim Schwartz; Hall of Fame general manager of the Bills, Panthers and Colts, Bill Polian; and Tom Finken, a former NFL side judge. According to Dean Blandino, this group will look at plays spanning the past 20 years to help determine guidelines. Blandino also said the league is open to hearing input from Bryant and any other players who feel passionately about the subject.

Thrash caught 290 passes from 1997-2008 for the Redskins and Eagles, so he probably knows what a catch is. The coaches and Polian have spent their whole lives around football, so they, too, probably know what constitutes a catch. And the man who used to rule whether or not catches were made also probably knows what a catch is.

But then again, if it were that easy, a committee probably wouldn't be needed.

While the Potter Stewart standard of "I know it when I see it" should be enough to determine the most basic call on the field, it's proven to mean very little on Sundays. During game broadcasts, the trio of a play-by-play announcer, color commentator, and former NFL referee/officiating expert typically end up throwing their hands over their heads and waiting for a ruling, because seemingly nobody can state with any certainty what constitutes a catch these days.

But with six opinionated guys (plus however many players want to add opinions) poring over 20 years of film after being told to help solve the problem, football fans might not want to hold their collective breath if they want this effort to result in a simplified, universal and easily applicable solution.

Sure looks like a piece of cake. Good luck, committee! I'm sure Jim Schwartz can be the hero the football world needs.

Read more from Michael Hurley by clicking here. You can email him or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.

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