Summary: <br> Matt Waldman's RSP NFL Scouting Glossary defines Clapping/Gator Catching, a sub-optimal technique with hand positioning for wide receivers. <br> <br> Why Is Hand Positioning Vital for Receiver Play?<br> The shape, spin, trajectory, and velocity of a thrown football require a pass catcher to attack the target with methods that allow the receiver an opportunity to achieve several objectives.<br> <br> * Meet the ball at the earliest point of arrival.<br> * Slow the spin of the ball in a controlled manner that reduces the potential for a violent recoil.<br> * Make the catch with the first attempt to maximize efficiency.<br> * Optimal hand positioning creates easier second-chance attempts to win the ball.<br> * Secure the target quickly enough to reposition the ball away from tight coverage.<br> * Secure the target quickly enough to maintain the path of the route and maximize yardage after the catch.<br> <br> A football travels at a high speed and the spin isn't always tight. Combined with the oblong shape and texture, there are several challenges for a player that don't include the position of the defender and/or the intensity of contact that the defender will deliver as the receiver attempts the catch.<br> What Is Optimal Hand Positioning to Catch a Football?<br> The optimal receiving techniques begin with the fingertips. Because of the ball's spin and shape as well as the speed a quarterback can deliver it, the ball is prone to a violent recoil with it strikes a singular, flat surface. Throw a football against a wall and watch how violently and unpredictably it rebounds from the surface.<br> <br> The same thing happens when the ball strikes the palm of your hand — a singular, flat surface. The fingertips are marvels of human engineering because when 6-8 of them meet an oblong object that's arriving with great velocity and high RPMs, they have the precision to apply subtle pressure that stops the spin.<br> <br> If the precision of the fingertips working in tandem isn't perfect, it will still reduce the spin to a manageable movement — a soft and slower recoil that's easier to track for a second attempt at the ball compared to the ball recoiling violently off the palms, chest or helmet.<br> <br> The best way to position the hands so the fingertips can stop the spin and control the ball depends on the trajectory of the target. If it's a target above the waistline, the hands should be extended outward with the thumbs and index fingers forming a triangle.<br> <br> This isn't a perfect representation because the hands should be cupped a little more so the rest of the fingertips are in a position to grip the target, but you get the basic idea.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> If the ball arrives below the waistline, the hands should be extended outward with the pinkies together as if you're holding them together to cup food.<br> <br> <br> Gator-Catching/Clapping: A Common Technique Error<br> Watch a young child learning how to catch a ball it's common to see them attempt to clap their hands onto each side of the ball. It's a logical idea but an inefficient one because it requires a lot more timing and coordination to meet a moving object with both hands traveling from opposite directions than it does to have your hands in a fixed position as the ball arrives.<br> <br> It also encourages initial contact of the ball with the palms rather than the fingertips and this leads to a violent and unpredictable recoil. If the hands miss completely, the ball has a violent recoil off the surface of the receiver's facemask or chest.<br> <br> Although college and NFL receivers have spent hundreds if not thousands of hours catching the football, there are scenarios that influence a receiver's lapses with catch technique:<br> <br> * Mistracking the trajectory of the football and forced to re-adjust at the last mome...
