Ed Hochuli Discusses The Simultaneous Catch Rule

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"Simultaneous catch," Hochuli said, introducing a scenario,and one could practically hear his smirk through the phone. "I don't know where I come up with that one, but I thought it might be relevant."

"We use situations that occur as learning opportunities. Not to be critical, but as learning opportunities," Hochuli said as a disclaimer. "So let's looks at the rule."

Hochuli defined a simultaneous catch as one in which four hands secure the football at the same time. It is not a simultaneous catch, he says, if one player has it in mid-air and then another joins him in the act of possessing it. The player who had possessed the ball first (in the case of Monday's game, Jennings) is the one who should be rewarded with possession.

It also does not matter if the initial grab occurs before the player hit the ground.

"I will tell you I've worked over 450 games in this league. I have never seen a simultaneous catch," Hochuli said. "To get four hands on the ball at the same time is a pretty unusual situation.

"I've seen simultaneous recoveries. That's not uncommon. You un-pile the players, they're going after a loose ball and there are two guys who are completely wrapped around the football, you have a simultaneous recovery. You're going to give the ball to the offense.

"But a simultaneous catch is a hard thing to have."

He added, "I point that out only because if you're going to call it, be really confident in what you're doing. Do understand that rule that you're going to get four hands on that football at the same time in order to have a simultaneous catch."

Later, while the officials waited for a disconnected Hochuli to rejoin them, they went over the rule again.

"We can rule on simultaneous catches in the end zone. That is reviewable," referee Bill Leavy said. "And the way we would've (ruled Monday) night's would've been an interception."

Of a simultaneous catch, Leavy added, "Like Ed said, I've never seen one." continue