In football Can any offensive player( RB\WR\TE\FB\QB) who passes the line of Scrimmage hand the ball to another player ? just like rugby.
2007-09-07 12:58:07 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Football (American)
A hand-off, where the ball never is out of the possession of either player (that is, it doesn't travel between the two players with no one touching it) can occur in any direction between any two players.
If the ball does go through the air - even an inch - without at least one person touching it, then a couple of rules come into play depending on the direction of the ball.
If the travel of the ball is perfectly sideways (parallel with the yardlines) or in any way backward, that is called a lateral. A lateral can be pitched underhand, thrown overhand, or just kind of fumbled away. As long as it's traveling straight sideways or back, it's a lateral. And, as such, if the ball is dropped by the intended receiver, it's a live ball and anyone can pick it up. I've even seen a play in a college game where a quarterback intentionally bounced a nearly sideways lateral to a receiver. Everyone on defense thought it was an incomplete pass and they stopped defending. The guy who caught the bounced lateral then went on to score a touchdown.
If the ball is traveling forward of the line parallel to the yardlines, there are a couple of other rules that come into play: First, the person throwing the ball (doesn't have to be the quarterback) must release the ball behind the original line of scrimage or it's an illegal forward pass. Second, if the pass is first touched by an inelligible receiver (an offensive lineman) - even if he's not looking and the ball bounces off the back of his helmet - then it's ruled inelligible touching of a forward pass.
There you are, clear as mud.
2007-09-07 13:32:28 · answer #1 · answered by Paul in San Diego 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. In fact any defensive player running with the ball can hand-off or lateral to any other defensive player. The only rule is the person receiving the ball must be behind or even with the person giving the ball.
2007-09-07 20:03:57 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes called a lateral, as long as its not a forward pass.
2007-09-07 20:13:37 · answer #3 · answered by chocopoke90210 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋