close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

    • What is Concurrent Possession? Why Illinois Recorded Interception
    news

    What is Concurrent Possession? Why Illinois Recorded Interception

    Vaseline Posted on

    It looked like Nebraska scored a touchdown on a 50-50 ball in the second quarter to take a 17-10 lead over Illinois football on Friday night. However, Fighting Illini cornerback Torrie Cox Jr. made an interception on review.

    Despite the ball initially appearing to be in the possession of both Cornhuskers receiver Isaiah Neyor and Cox Jr., with the tiebreaker going to Neyor for the touchdown, officials replayed the moment and ruled it an interception for Illinois. It was a nice break for the Fighting Illini, who regained possession and kept the score tied at 10-10 at the time.

    REQUIRED READING: Illinois vs Nebraska Score Today: Live Updates, Week 4 Game Highlights

    Nebraska freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola threw a fantastic pass, but Cox Jr. made the better play defending the throw.

    Here’s an explanation of why Illinois was charged with an interception during this confusing action:

    What is concurrent possession?

    Illinois intercepted the ball against Nebraska midway through the second quarter on Friday night, but it didn’t happen without a discussion among officials.

    The 50-50 pass from Raiola to Neyor was initially ruled a touchdown, as Neyor appeared to come down with the ball before Cox Jr. seemingly picked it off and grabbed it himself. However, after the replay, officials ruled it an interception.

    According to the NCAA handbook, a catch is defined as follows:

    “Gains possession (Rule 2-4-1) of a live ball in flight; or 2. Leaves his feet and takes a firm grip on a live ball in flight, the ball first touching the ground on inbounds while still firmly in grip; or 3. Leaves his feet, takes a firm grip on a live ball in flight and returns some part of his body first to the ground on inbounds or is so held that the dead-ball provisions of Rule 4-1-3-p apply.”

    However, the definition of a simultaneous catch is slightly different.

    “A simultaneous catch or recovery is a catch or recovery where the opponents are in joint possession of a live ball,” the rule book states.

    This means that since Cox Jr. was intercepted, Neyor and Cox Jr. would not have been deemed to have had simultaneous possession of the ball, as that would have given the tiebreaker to the receiver, resulting in a touchdown. This stands in stark contrast to the infamous 2012 Packers-Seahawks debacle, now dubbed “Fail Mary,” when replacement officials ruled simultaneous possession on an obvious interception.

    Cox’s play clearly favored the Fighting Illini, holding the ball longer than Golden Tate did on that fateful day for Seattle. But even now, 12 years later (the anniversary is Tuesday), simultaneous possession remains a rule that’s hard to call in real time.

    Vaseline
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like