What is a catch in college football in 2024-25? How the NCAA differs from the NFL

Do you know what constitutes a catch in college football? Do the refs?

It can be confusing sometimes, and it’s even become a recurring joke among college football fans that no one really knows what a catch is.

But there are a lot of factors that can come into play or create confusion, like one or two feet in bounds, did the receiver bobble it or did they have control?

Thankfully we do know how a catch is as defined in the NCAA’s official rulebook. And given that college football’s biggest games are just around the corner, it’s probably a good idea to brush up on how completing a college football catch works in the NCAA.

Though officials on the field may rule catches on a subjective matter, here’s now making a catch is defined in the NCAA online rulebook.

What is a catch in college football, as defined by the NCAA?

As per the NCAA rulebook, there are three main parts to defining a catch. For a catch to occur, the player:

1. Secures firm control with the hand(s) or arm(s) of a live ball in flight before the ball touches the ground, and
2. Touches the ground in bounds with any part of his body, and then
3. Maintains control of the ball long enough to enable that player to perform an act common to the game, i.e., long enough to pitch or hand the ball, advance it, avoid or ward off an opponent, etc.

Pretty simple, right?

The act of securing the ball and making a “football move” are the key elements here. And in the NCAA, a player only needs to have one foot down and in bounds to secure the catch, unlike the NFL which requires both feet.

That being said, there are three stipulations to the above rules which must be satisfied in order for a pass to be ruled a catch. They are as follows:

• If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent) he must maintain complete and continuous control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or in the end zone. This is also required for a player attempting to make a catch at the sideline and going to the ground out of bounds. If he loses control of the ball which then touches the ground before he regains control, it is not a catch. If he regains control inbounds prior to the ball touching the ground it is a catch.
• If the player loses control of the ball while simultaneously touching the ground with any part of his body, or if there is doubt that the acts were simultaneous, it is not a catch. If a player has control of the ball, a slight movement of the ball, even if it touches the ground, will not be considered loss of possession; he must lose control of the ball in order for there to be a loss of possession.
• If the ball touches the ground after the player secures control and continues to maintain control, and the elements above are satisfied, it is a catch.

All that basically means that a loss of control that is not recovered before the ball touches the ground does not count as a catch. But, if the player does regain control of the ball inbounds before touching the ground, that counts as a catch.

And, perhaps most importantly, when it’s in question, the catch is not complete.