If Two NFL Players Catch The Same Pass At The Same Time, The Ball Belongs To The Offense
When a receiver and a defender catch the same NFL pass at the same moment and both hold on, the rulebook gives the ball to the passing team. The tie has to be a real one.
Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Note 4 covers a pass that two eligible opponents catch at the same time.
The rule
If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers.
When it is not a tie
It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control. The rulebook's approved ruling A.R. 8.28 gives the example of a receiver who controls the pass in the air before a defender also gets control of it. That is a catch by the receiver.
The ball stays alive
The approved rulings also say that until one of the players in simultaneous control goes to the ground or out of bounds, the ball remains alive. In the rulebook's example, the two players land on their feet and wrestle for the ball, the defender takes it away, and the defense gets the ball.
- 01Both hold on and one goes to the ground: offense's ball
- 02Defender takes it away while both are standing: defense's ball
- 03Both land with a foot out of bounds: incomplete pass
Quick answers
- Who gets the ball on a simultaneous catch in the NFL?
- The passing team. If two eligible opponents catch a pass at the same time and both retain it, the ball belongs to the passers.
- What if one player had the ball first?
- Then it is not a simultaneous catch. The rule only applies when both players gain control at the same time.
- Can the defender still take the ball away?
- Yes. The approved rulings say the ball remains alive until one of the players in simultaneous control goes to the ground or out of bounds.
Sources
- 2026 Official Playing Rules of the National Football League
- The Official NFL Rulebook, NFL Football Operations
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