Roughing the Passer

[PSU213]

Just to tie together some points that were already made:

1. RTP does not deal with the reasonability that a pass with occur. That is only a factor for roughing the kicker.

2. A defender should realize when a pass has been thrown. If A2 throws a pass and B99 immeditely hits him, it is not RTP (unless particularly vicious, etc.) even if it was obvious a pass was going to occur. If A2 is scrambling and throws a pass, B99 better (should) realize that a pass was thrown and has a responsibility to avoid unnecessary contact on the passer, even if it did not appear reasonable that a pass would occur.

Finally, no one who throws a forward pass from beyond the NZ is afforded protection....you must throw from in/behind the NZ (9-4-4), although personal foul is still on the table. Also, in situation (4), A1 is indeed not a passer, because, by definiton, a passer throws a forward pass (2-30-11).