QUESTION #1
I was hoping you could answer a quick question for me that is a bone of contention amongst some fellow fans and I regarding what is an illegal forward pass. Specifically what I am referring to is the contradictory term “forward lateral”. Can a player (typically the QB) underhand the ball forward from behind the line of scrimmage, similar to how he would do a backwards pass or lateral to a running back? Are there restrictions on this? Can it be thrown with two hands?
ANSWER
A forward pass may be thrown overhand, underhand or sidearm, one hand or two. The concept is that it is a thrown ball going forward. It may cross the line of scrimmage, or be thrown to a player behind the line of scrimmage.
There can only be one forward pass per down, but onside or lateral passes have no restriction as to the number which may occur during a play.
The “forward lateral” you speak of is actually a misnomer. It is what we call an offside pass, thrown by a player when the line of scrimmage is not in play (in other words – in the open field).
An illegal forward pass is generally flagged when a passer crosses the line of scrimmage and then throws a forward pass. You might be interested to know that if a passer crosses the line of scrimmage, and then retreats behind it again, he may legally throw a forward pass.
QUESTION #2
In the third quarter of the Riders-Alouettes game a Montreal player was flagged for roughing the passer even though the quarterback had passed the ball over the line of scrimmage. When is roughing the passer, roughing the passer when a quarterback is over the line of scrimmage?
ANSWER
The quarterback gets protection when he is close to the line of scrimmage. Even if he is over the line of scrimmage the quarterback is protected. If he is way over the line of scrimmage – say 3-4 or more yards – he is no longer treated like a quarterback.
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FAQs
The oxymoron "forward lateral" is used to describe an attempted "lateral" (backward pass) that actually goes forward. In most cases, it is illegal. A variant, the hook and lateral, where a forward pass is immediately passed backward to a second receiver to fool the defense, is used on occasion.
How many points is a touchdown in CFL? ›
Scoring. The methods of scoring are: Touchdown. Achieved when the ball is in possession of a player in the opponent's end zone, or when the ball in the possession of a player crosses or touches the plane of the opponent's goal-line, worth 6 points (5 points until 1956).
What is a first down in CFL? ›
A first down shall be recorded whenever: The yardsticks are ordered forward by the officials on a sequence of downs, A touchdown is scored on an offensive play from scrimmage, A gain from scrimmage is made on the last play in a half that would have resulted in a first down being awarded had time not run out.
What is the no yards penalty? ›
No yards penalties are called when a member of the kicking team is within a 5 yards of the receiving team's player when the ball is caught. This is one of the hardest rules to tell from a TV screen. The 5-yard distance is a 5 yard circle around the player.
Is a forward lateral a fumble? ›
Lateral passes that result in a loose ball are scored as fumbles and yards lost are charged against the player who, in the statistician's opinion, was responsible for the failure of the pass.
When did forward lateral become legal? ›
Illegal and experimental forward passes had been attempted as early as 1876, but the first legal forward pass in American football took place in 1906, after a change in the rules.
What is the oldest CFL team? ›
The Toronto Argonauts football club was formed on October 4, 1873, making them one of the oldest existing clubs in professional North American sport. The Argonauts football club branched off from the Argonauts Rowing Club that was formed in 1871.
Can you drop kick in the CFL? ›
The drop-kick field goal is a rare but still legal part of American football and Canadian football, other football codes descended from rugby football. In both sports, it can be used to score a field goal (three points) or a conversion (one point).
Has a CFL game ever ended 1 0? ›
On this day in 1966, in a CFL game, Montreal defeated Ottawa 1-0 on a missed field goal, thanks the rouge. Can you imagine Scorigami if American football adopted the rouge? SCORIGAMI!
Can you score 1 point in CFL? ›
Single (one point) is credited to the player who kicked the ball across the Goal Line.
Waggle. A waggle is the motion of a receiver towards the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped. Slotbacks generally take a running start towards the line of scrimmage, timing their arrival with the snap of the ball.
Why is CFL only 3 downs? ›
The CFL has three downs per possession
In Canada's league, teams are awarded three downs in order to gain 10 yards. This was actually the norm in football when it was first created in the 19th century. The United States changed from three downs to four in 1912, but Canada remained with just three.
What is the rarest penalty in football? ›
In gridiron football, a palpably unfair act is a case of any illegal action that the officials of a sports game deem has clearly and indisputably deprived a team of a score. It is one of the rarest penalties in the sport.
What is the longest yard penalty in football history? ›
There's only one penalty that can exceed 15 yards and that's for defensive pass interference, which is a spot foul in the NFL. A whopping 66-yard spot penalty for that was called on Detroit corner Nevin Lawson in a November 2015 meeting between Green Bay and Detroit at Lambeau Field and it's the longest on record.
Is a backwards lateral legal? ›
When the ball is thrown in an NFL game, more often than not it is thrown foward by the team in possession's quarterback. However, teams in the NFL are able to throw the ball backwards, often referred to as a lateral pass, and the rules which apply to forwards passes are not the same.
Can you throw a forward pass underhand? ›
A forward pass may be thrown overhand, underhand or sidearm, one hand or two.
Does a forward pass have to be overhand? ›
Backward passes are colloquially referred to as laterals. But a forward pass by definition cannot be a lateral, and vice versa. How the ball is thrown (overhand, underhand, sidearm, etc.) is irrelevant to the direction in which the ball travels.
Can you throw a forward pass underhand in the NFL? ›
There are no restrictions on the throwing motion the quarterback can use; overhand, underhand, side arm, makes no difference. The direction the ball travels when it leaves the quarterback's hand is what determines if it is a forward or backward pass.
