Here’s the PFWA pool report with NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron on the replay review which took away an apparent Chicago touchdown pass to Allen Robinson during Sunday’s 30-26 Falcons loss:
Questions by Patrick Finley of The Chicago Sun-Times: With the Allen Robinson touchdown that got overturned to an interception, when you guys looked at it, did he ever definitively have possession?
Riveron: “Here’s the way we look at it. Number one, we go with the ruling on the field, and the ruling on the field is that we have a touchdown. So, when we look at it, we have to start with what is the ruling on the field. We can see that it is clear that the process of the catch is not over. Since the process of the catch is not over, the defender still has a right to the ball. And we see that the defender does get the ball and come up with it. Therefore, we reversed it because we had clear and obvious visual evidence that the process of the catch was not over. We changed the ruling to an interception.”
Question: What does Robinson need to do to finish the catch?
Riveron: “Well, in order to complete the catch, you must have control, two feet or another body part on the ground, and then you have to perform a football move, or have the time to perform a football move.”
Question: It was clear enough in the replay to overturn?
Riveron: “That is the basis to overturn it in replay. It has to be clear and obvious visual evidence in order for us to reverse the ruling on the field.”
Question: If it truly is a 50-50 ball and both players have possession, it is by rule the receiver’s ball, correct?
Riveron: “Again, he has to complete the process of a catch. And we had clear and obvious evidence that he does not complete the process of a catch.”
Question: Where did you see the ball hit on Chicago’s 4th and 17 pass attempt, that you reversed from touchdown to incomplete?
Riveron: “In that situation, we clearly see that he does not complete the process of a catch. The ball hits the ground and he never has control of the football.”
