Passer crossing the Line of Scrimmage

[jchamp]

I couldn't find this situation in the case book and the rules book seems to permit it (NFHS):

An A player has the ball and carries it beyond the neutral zone before retreating behind the line of scrimmage to attempt and complete a forward pass with both feet behind the LoS.

7-5 states in several places that the passer must be in or behind the neutral zone (both feet) but makes no reference to the ball or passer having already crossed ahead of the LoS. Is this a legal forward pass?

[JugglingReferee]

CANADIAN RULING:

Legal.

[mbyron]

7-5-1 and 7-5-2 refer to the position of the passer when the pass is released. They do not mention where he has been. Legal.

[Texas Aggie]

NCAA: Illegal. Five yards and loss of down from spot.

[jchamp]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

NCAA: Illegal. Five yards and loss of down from spot.

Yeah, I found this in the NCAA rules, 7-3-2e,
ARTICLE 2. A forward pass is illegal:
e. If thrown from in or behind the neutral zone after a ball carrier in possession of the ball has gone beyond the neutral zone.

I was trying to figure out if NFHS's lack of similar language is meant to imply that the play I mentioned, or one in which a backwards pass from A1 who has crossed the LoS to A2 who is behind the LoS before a subsequent forward pass would be legal.

I was in the U spot on a JV scrimmage Saturday with a play similar to the first post. I don't think he actually crossed, but he certainly ran backwards as if to make sure he was behind the line before heaving his throw.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by jchamp

Yeah, I found this in the NCAA rules, 7-3-2e,
ARTICLE 2. A forward pass is illegal:
e. If thrown from in or behind the neutral zone after a ball carrier in possession of the ball has gone beyond the neutral zone.

I was trying to figure out if NFHS's lack of similar language is meant to imply that the play I mentioned, or one in which a backwards pass from A1 who has crossed the LoS to A2 who is behind the LoS before a subsequent forward pass would be legal.

It wasn't meant to imply anything, because it's NCAA that changed it to their present language. Fed didn't delete a requirement that'd been in there before, but NCAA added one.

[wisref2]

If it's not illegal, it's legal. In Federation, the pass just has to be made from behind the LOS.