Intentional Grounding or Backward Pass

[Ed Hickland]

2nd and 15. QB goes back to pass. With no open receivers and defenders closing in, QB turns and throws pass to an area where there are no offensive receivers. But, and this is a big but, the pass is thrown clearly backwards.

Both linesman and referee throw flag for intentional grounding. Later, we both concede we should have let it go since it was a backward pass.

Comments.

[jfurdell]

Well, if you both have intentional grounding, you also both should have an incomplete pass and should have blown the whistle.

If that's what you did, and you subsequently determined that the pass was definitely backwards, it's an IW, and the offense can either count the down at the spot of the pass (they won't) or replay the down (they will). The flag for IG has to be waved off.

If you didn't blow the whistle and let the play continue, you clearly have to wave off the IG flag since it wasn't a forward pass.

[MD Longhorn]

Well, if the backward pass went out of bounds before the whistle (whether in the air or not), you don't have IW, you have offense's ball where the ball went out of bounds.

[Rich]

I can see it happening. Wave off the flag like you did. Did the linesman punch backwards on the backwards pass?

Rich

[AlabamaBlue]

Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser
I can see it happening. Wave off the flag like you did. Did the linesman punch backwards on the backwards pass?

Rich

He said the QB dropped back. When that happens it's the white hat's responsibility to judge on the backward pass because the HL better be down field.

[keystoneref]

Just food for thought, why would the linesman have a flag for IG? If my linesman ever flags IG we are going to have a long, long talk.

[JRutledge]

Well you cannot have an intentional grounding call on a backward pass. So this is a fumble and a live ball. And the Referee has this call pretty much all the way. The only way the wings have this call is if the ball was immediately thrown backwards toward their sideline. I had this happen to me last Friday and it was a fumble. The QB tried to throw it away, but got spun around and threw the ball backwards.

Peace

[AndrewMcCarthy]

Originally posted by JRutledge
I had this happen to me last Friday and it was a fumble. The QB tried to throw it away, but got spun around and threw the ball backwards.

Careful with this one!!

2-29-2 NOTE: Prior to releasing the ball on a pass, if the potential passer is contacted, and the ball is released, it is a forward pass if his arm was moving forward on contact.

Not an easy call to make.

[Rich]

Originally posted by AlabamaBlue

He said the QB dropped back. When that happens it's the white hat's responsibility to judge on the backward pass because the HL better be down field.

Of course I read it as an immediate screen out towards the wing.

One day I'll learn how to read for comprehension.