Forward Pass

midatlantech

Dodd-Like
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Aug 20, 2003
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So I'm curious. I was watching one of the PJ video's and there were a couple of questionable "laterals" and it got me thinking.

When is a lateral a lateral (as in it has to go backwards) and when is it a pass? Why can't a QB lateral or pass the ball in an option and never called for forwarding the ball illegally?
 
Once the QB passes the line of scrimmage he can no longer throw the ball forwards. As long as he's still behind the line, he can either lateral the ball backwards or throw it forwards.
 
So the TO is much more powerful now then. In the old days, the lateral had to be backwards even behind the line of scrimmage. Now anything goes for what I would call a "pass", as in forward as long as it's behind the line. I can see just from this how much tougher it would be to defend the option today. A runningback can go into to full run now and not worry about trailing behind so much.
 
Here's the only two differences between a lateral and a forward pass to a guy behind the line of scrimmage:

If you lateral it forward to the pitch guy while you're behind the line of scrimmage, he can't pull up and pass it again.

The yards for the play count as a pass instead of a run on the stat line, and the pitch guy gets credit for a reception and some YAC.

You generally don't teach to pitch it forward on option plays as a matter of course, because you want to have the option to pitch it once you're past the line of scrimmage.
 
I guess in reality, a forward pass would also have to meet the linemen blocking downfield rules, so that may apply. It just seemed that Ham or whoever for GSU pitched a couple forward.
 
I guess in reality, a forward pass would also have to meet the linemen blocking downfield rules, so that may apply.

Hrmm. Hadn't thought about that. You might be right. Just another reason to make sure your pitches are laterals, I guess.
 
I guess in reality, a forward pass would also have to meet the linemen blocking downfield rules, so that may apply. It just seemed that Ham or whoever for GSU pitched a couple forward.

Do those apply if the pass is completed behind the LOS?
 
In I-AA (FCS) Playoff bound wofford ran a triple option this year where they mostly pitched sideways and alot of times they pitched forward, the in the event of a drop it would not be a fumble, but rather an incomplete pass.

I feel bad for the book/stat keepers at that school though, that must be hard to keep up with.
 
In I-AA (FCS) Playoff bound wofford ran a triple option this year where they mostly pitched sideways and alot of times they pitched forward, the in the event of a drop it would not be a fumble, but rather an incomplete pass.

I feel bad for the book/stat keepers at that school though, that must be hard to keep up with.

I didn't know that about Wofford's offense.

But they won the Southern Conference and their win at Montana was huge. I think they were the first southern team ever to come out of Missoula with a playoff win. Montana had won something like 16 straight home playoff games against southern teams by an average of 28-30 points.
 
I didn't know that about Wofford's offense.

But they won the Southern Conference and their win at Montana was huge. I think they were the first southern team ever to come out of Missoula with a playoff win. Montana had won something like 16 straight home playoff games against southern teams by an average of 28-30 points.

Wofford? They're nothing. I know these guys called Georgia Southern. They beat ASU at The Rock. They beat Wofford at whatever they called theirs.

But....they lost the ones that counted. Losses to 2 win UTC and 4 win Furman kept them outta the playoffs.
 
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