Purpose of the beanbag....

[With_Two_Flakes]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

One play I've wondered about for a long time as to how it'd be officiated, since #2 above was adopted, is a desperation no-look backward pass. Does it count as a pass or a fumble if a player being tackled lets the ball go backward in a haphazard way, and it hits the ground? Do you rule that to be throwing the ball, hence a pass, or some other loss of possession, hence a fumble? I guess what I'm really looking for is whether the benefit of the doubt (as to whether the motion of the ball is a throw) goes to the player getting rid of the ball or the opponents, when the 4th down funble rule is a consideration. Is it the same amount of presumption as would be the case for distinguishing between an illegal forward pass and a fumble, or different?

A very good philosophy question.

The NCAA rules are pretty clear about what is a fumble (2-10-1 "any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing") and what is a pass (2-19-1 "Passing the ball is throwing it").

The Rules do not appear to require that there be a receipient of the backward pass, 7-2-1 "A ball carrier may hand or pass the ball backward at any time, except to throw the ball deliberately OOB to conserve time".

The 4th down fumble rules specifically address fumbles, but not backward passes. If you are covering this play you have to decide - did the kid deliberately throw a backward pass or did the ball simply pop out.

The one time (mentioned earlier in this thread) that I've had this play happen to me, it was clearly a fumble and the ball happened to bounce forwards to where it was recovered by a Team A teammate. So it was an easy call.

To be honest I have no real clue which way I would lean if I didn't know whether the act was deliberate or not. I think I would probably err on the side of a fumble...