Scrimgeour says:

> "A Snitch is not touched by bare skin before it is released, not even
> by the maker, who wears gloves.  It carries an enchantment by which it
> can identify the first human to lay hands upon it, in case of a
> disputed capture."

> -- *Rufus Scrimgeour*, The Will of Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

"Lay hands upon it" is a bit more ambiguous than "touch" because the definition implies [to manage with the hands][1], i.e. to have control of it.  So if that reading is correct, then it will settle the disputed capture by indicating which Seeker had first control of it.


  [1]: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lay+hands+on