NFL's 2 worst rules in desperate need of overhaul

The NFL's rulebook is in need of reconstruction.

In the span of four hours, two of the league's biggest games were decided by controversial rules. Two plays, in particular, had a seismic affect on this year's playoff picture.

The outcomes were decided with a collection of referees thumbing through the rulebook rather than by the play of all-world athletes and their physical talents.

That needs to change. The league could start by fixing these two rules:

Catch Rule:

Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1

The contest billed as the 'Game of the Year' between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots was ultimately decided on a play in which it was apparent to viewers that Steelers tight end Jesse James made a reception and thrust the ball across the goal line.

What was first ruled as the go-ahead touchdown, handing Pittsburgh a 30-27 lead with less than 30 seconds left, was overruled because James "went to the ground" as he completed the catch. The impact of a 261-pound man colliding with an unforgiving surface caused the ball to jar ever so slightly in his hands.

That's not OK, according to the NFL's rulebook.

"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 until after his initial contact with the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone," reads the 2017 NFL Rulebook.

"If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete."

Remember when a player only had to have possession and two feet down for it to be considered a catch? That was a much simpler time.

It is preposterous that a runner needs only to have the tip of the football graze the front of the goal line for a play to be considered a touchdown, yet, a receiver needs to maintain control of the ball all the way to the ground even if the catch is made in the end zone.

It's unrealistic to demand a receiver to catch an oblong object thrown his way, maintain an iron grip, and not allow it to move at all when making contact with the ground.

​The outdated rule cost the Steelers a monumental victory over their longtime rivals and likely decided home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. No biggie.

A simple solution: have the two rules about crossing the plane of the end zone in concert. If you break the plane with the football - whether as a runner or receiver, whether you go to the ground or remain standing - it should be a touchdown. Point blank.

Fumble Rule:

Rule 8, Section 7, Article 3, Item 4a

One needs only to look at the blushy-face emoji the league used for this video and hear the number of times play-by-play man Al Michaels said "that is the rule" to know how ridiculous this is.

On Sunday Night Football, Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr tried to extend the football across the goal line while being shoved out of bounds. He tried, with one massive hand, to maintain his grip. When he understandably lost control of the ball, it rolled into the end zone and onto the sidelines.

The referees wasted no time ruling the play a touchback and giving possession to the Dallas Cowboys, even though the Cowboys never touched the ball.

Here is the explanation, via the official rulebook:

"If a ball is fumbled in the field of play, and goes forward into the opponent's end zone and over the end line or sideline, a touchback is awarded to the defensive team."

Why?

The origin of this rule is unknown, but it's widely regarded as the worst entry in the rulebook.

There's an easy fix for this, however: the ball should go back to the offensive team and should be spotted where control was lost.

Under those laws, the Raiders would have regained possession of the ball at the Cowboys' 1-yard line with 30 seconds left in the game.

It would have made for a far more thrilling conclusion and a fair determination of whose season would remain alive.

But who wants that.