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PASSING GAME. KEY RULES FOR THE PASSING GAME. Forward vs Backward Passes Legal vs Illegal Passes Eligibility Rules Pass Interference. WHAT IS A “PASS”?. PASSING THE BALL IS THROWING IT.
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PASSING GAME
KEY RULES FOR THE PASSING GAME • Forward vs Backward Passes • Legal vs Illegal Passes • Eligibility Rules • Pass Interference
WHAT IS A “PASS”? • PASSING THE BALL IS THROWING IT. • Balls can be thrown overhand, underhand, or sidearm, or by “push passing” (All these are considered passes) • A pass is a pass until it is CAUGHT, INTERCEPTED, or DECLARED DEAD.
FORWARD PASS • Determined by where ball first strikes a player, ground, an official, or anything. If that spot is in advance of where ball was released from, it is a forward pass. • Ex: QB standing at his 40, throws ball underhanded to the RB who touches it at the 50. FORWARD PASS • Ex: QB is running an option play and “pitches” ball from his 30 to a RB who first touches the ball at his 31. FORWARD PASS
BACKWARD PASS • Any pass that is NOT a forward pass, is ruled a backward pass. • Ex: QB standing at his 40 throws ball forward towards the WR who is standing at his 41. The wind forces the ball back and the WR first touches it at his 39. BACKWARD PASS • Ex: QB running the option releases the ball on a “pitch” at his 30. The RB first touches the ball at his 29. BACKWARD PASS
FORWARD PASS • If a Team A player is holding ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm followed by contact on the ball or the passer by a Team B player starts a forward pass. Even if ball is released and hits the ground, a player, an official, or anything behind that spot, rule a FORWARD pass.
FORWARD PASS • WHEN IN QUESTION AS TO WHETHER A PASS WAS FORWARD OR BACKWARD, IT IS RULED FORWARD IF IT WAS RELEASED IN OR BEHIND THE NEUTRAL ZONE. • WHEN IN QUESTION THE BALL IS PASSED, NOT FUMBLED, DURING AN ATTEMPTED FORWARD PASS.
BACKWARD PASS • A SNAP IS A BACKWARD PASS AS SOON AS THE SNAPPER RELEASES THE BALL. • (WHICH BRINGS UP THE QUESTION…WHY ARE GUYS TOSSING BEAN BAGS WHEN A SNAP IS MISHANDLED????? THIS IS NOT A FUMBLE – NO BEAN BAG NEEDED)
LEGAL vs. ILLEGAL • Team A can make 1 forward pass during a down, as long as the pass is thrown from a point in or behind the neutral zone.
LEGAL vs. ILLEGAL • What can make the forward pass illegal? • If thrown by a Team A player who is beyond the neutral zone. • If thrown by a Team A player after a runner has taken the ball beyond the neutral zone before returning it back behind the neutral zone. • If thrown by any Team B player, or if thrown by a Team A player after there has been a change of TEAM possession. • If it is the 2d forward pass by Team A during the down.
LEGAL vs. ILLEGAL • What can make the forward pass illegal? (cont.) • If it is thrown to stop the clock and it is not thrown immediately after ball is first controlled after the snap or is thrown after the ball has touched the ground. Ex: QB in shotgun muffs the snap, picks ball up and then spikes it to the ground to stop clock. ILLEGAL
LEGAL vs. ILLEGAL • What can make the forward pass illegal? (cont.) • If it is thrown to save loss of yardage OR to stop the clock and it is thrown to an area where no ELIGIBLE Team A player has a REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY to catch the ball. (When in question the player does have a reasonable opportunity) EXCEPTION: Not illegal if passer is more than 5 yards towards sideline from position of ball at snap and the ball lands beyond the neutral zone to avoid loss of yardage
LEGAL vs. ILLEGAL • ILLEGAL FORWARD PASS PENALTY: • 5 yards from spot of foul; • Also loss of down if thrown by Team A before change in team possession • Loss of down only (no yards marked off) if foul was illegal pass to conserve yardage
LEGAL vs. ILLEGAL(Backward Pass) • All backward passes are legal except for one that is thrown out of bounds intentionally to conserve time.
LEGAL vs. ILLEGAL • ILLEGAL BACKWARD PASS PENALTY: • 5 yards from spot of foul; • Also loss of down if thrown by Team A before change in team possession
ELIGIBILITY • Eligibility to touch a forward pass is only a concern when there is a legal forward pass. If pass is illegal, do not worry about eligibility rule. • All Team B players are eligible.
ELIGIBILITY • These Team A players are eligible at the snap: • Any player positioned on the end of the scrimmage line who is wearing a number other than 50 – 79 • Any player legally positioned in the backfield who is wearing a number other than 50 – 79 • Any player in position to receive a hand-to-hand snap from between the snapper’s legs, who is wearing a number other than 50 - 79
ELIGIBILITY • Even if the Team A player is eligible at the snap, he can become ineligible during the play if he goes out of bounds on his own or if he is blocked out and fails to immediately return inbounds
ELIGIBILITY • All Team A players become eligible after the pass is touched by a Team B player or an official
ELIGIBILITY • PENALTY: • Originally ineligible player INTENTIONALLY touching a legal forward pass: 5 yards from previous spot. NO LOSS OF DOWN • Originally eligible player touching a legal forward pass: Loss of down at previous spot. NO YARDAGE
ELIGIBILITY • Ineligible downfield: • If there is a legal forward pass that crosses the neutral zone, no originally ineligible player can go beyond the neutral zone until the ball is thrown. • Exception 1 – If Team A player immediately charges and contacts opponent at a spot not more than 1 yard beyond neutral zone and does not continue that contact for more than 3 yards beyond neutral zone • Exception 2 – If the player has driven the opponent no more than the 3 yard limit and then loses contact, he must stay at that spot.
ELIGIBILITY • PENALTY FOR INELIGIBLE DOWNFIELD: • 5 yards from previous spot.
PASS INTERFERENCE • Pass interference rules only apply when there is a legal forward pass that crosses the neutral zone. If the pass is illegal or if the pass does not cross the neutral zone (like on a screen), there can be no pass interference foul called
PASS INTERFERENCE • Offensive PI: • All contact beyond the neutral zone initiated by the Team A player which interferes with a Team B player, except: • When a Team A player charges at the snap and immediately contacts an opponent not more than a yard beyond neutral zone and he does not continue the contact more than 3 yards beyond neutral zone • When 2 or more eligible players are making a simultaneous and bona fide attempt to get the ball
PASS INTERFERENCE • When a Team A player charges at the snap and immediately contacts an opponent not more than a yard beyond neutral zone and he does not continue the contact more than 3 yards beyond neutral zone • When 2 or more eligible players are making a simultaneous and bona fide attempt to get the ball • When pass is in flight and 2 or more eligible players are in the area where they might receive/intercept the pass, and the pass is not catchable
PASS INTERFERENCE • Defensive PI: • Contact beyond the neutral zone by a Team B player • who is obviously attempting to impede the opponent • and that contact could prevent the opponent the opportunity to receive a • catchable legal forward pass EXCEPT……
PASS INTERFERENCE • When, after the snap, opposing players immediately charge and make contact with opponents at a point within 1 yard of neutral zone • When 2 or more eligible players are making a simultaneous and bona fide attempt to get the ball • When the Team B player legally contacts the Team A player BEFORE the ball is thrown
PASS INTERFERENCE • No such thing as pass interference BEHIND the neutral zone • No such thing as pass interference after the pass has been touched • Some defensive contact may not be pass interference as pass may not be catchable but can still be some other foul, i.e. holding, illegal use of hands, etc • If there is no contact, there is no interference (“face guarding”)
PASS INTERFERENCE(misc notes) • After the pass has been touched, players of either team may legally interfere • PI rules only apply when there is a play which includes a legal forward pass which crosses the NZ • Physical contact is required in order to call interference
PASS INTERFERENCE • PENALTY: • OFFENSE: 15 yards from previous spot (or ½ the distance to the goal line) • DEFENSE: Auto 1st down at the spot of the foul. • If the foul is more than 15 yards from previous spot, penalty is 15 yards and an auto 1st down. (NOTE: ½ the distance enforcement does NOT apply) • No penalty enforced from outside the 2 will place it inside the 2. • If previous spot was on or inside the 2, auto 1st down at a spot halfway between previous spot and goal line.
RULE REFERENCES • RULE 2-2-7 • RULE 2-19 • RULE 7-2 • RULE 7-3