Rules Analysis
If the player loses control of the disc due to subsequent contact with the ground or a team-mate or a legitimately positioned opposition player, the catch is deemed to have not occurred.
If the player fails to maintain the catch due to subsequent ground contact related to the catch, or contact related to the catch with a team-mate or a legitimately positioned opposition player, possession is deemed to have not occurred.
Ground contact or contact with another player can be deemed to be ‘related to the catch’ if it occurs directly after the catch has been made, is a result of landing after diving to catch the disc, or occurs while the player is off-balance after catching the disc. If, for example, a player takes a running catch in the end zone, subsequently establishes possession through the first few steps after the catch, and then continues to run as part of a celebration and trips over, any loss of possession that occurs as a result of the celebration would not be deemed to be ‘related to the catch’. One way to distinguish if the contact is related to the catch is that once the player could have chosen to stop moving and be stationary and in control of their movement, any further actions are not related to the catch, even if they do not choose to come to a stop.