Forward or Backward

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by cdoug

So then would a forward pass by A that's batted by a B lineman toward A's endline be a backward pass if it hits the ground behind where A threw it from? I can only picture this in a quick slant pass or something similar where A is close to the LOS.

No, because the other way to determine the direction of a pass (forward or backward) is the first of (i) where it is first touched or (ii) where it first hits the ground.

In the OP, the ball was untouched before it hit the ground, so where it first hits the ground is the only element to use to determine the direction of pass.

In your example, the first touching removes the ground as the element to use.