What is Football Move?
1.
Some ridiculous Maddenism that became a main stream rule. Deems a verified catch or not which has no grounds to judge.
Madden: "Not a good catch there, not a good catch there didnt make a football move!"
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2.
A term used by NFL television analysts in attempt to easily clarify/determine whether a particular pass was either a) caught and then fumbled or b) incomplete. The thinking is that if a ball was dropped after making a "football move" that the ball was officially caught and then fumbled. In contrast, if the receiver was not making a "football move," it was simply a dropped pass and therefore incomplete.
The problem with this term is that a receiver could clearly fumble the ball while making a non-football move (e.g. basketball move, volleyball move, etc.).
"And that pass is caught by Troy Williamson at the 30 yard line and he turns sideways while releasing a hook-shot (basketball move) toward the 28 yard-line where it is recovered by Al Harris - that is an incomplete pass and the Vikings will retain possession of the ball - that was not a football move...what was Al Harris thinking picking that ball up after a basketball move?"
This is clearly a catch followed by a fumble without the presence of a "football move."
I apologize for the unrealistic example - no way Williamson would catch the ball.
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