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Mon 25 Nov, 2019 02:09 pm
A fumble occurs when a player loses possession of the football, but when exactly is that? My specific example is if the player has the ball tucked normally, but then the ball slides down his arm towards his elbow while being continuously pinched against his body. His knee touches the ground before the ball is bobbled or popped out. Is it a fumble? If it is a fumble, was it when it no longer touches his palm? If it's tucked between his body and his wrist, is it loss of possession?
@tadpole1985,
It's about control and security of the ball. A player can control and secure a ball with his body and elbow. In the NFL, if he loses the ball upon falling down on his knee and is not touched by an opposing player, he's fumbled the ball. If he's touched by an opposing player upon falling down on his knee, he's down.