Player wearing Ineligible # catching a forward pass
 

Can a player who is wearing a number that is not an eligible receiver(by number) catch a pass that does not cross the line of scrimmage. In the MN 2A title game a player wearing 52 caught a forward pass that did not cross the line of scrimmage. I thought this was not allowed. The only thing I can think of is to why this was allowed was the official on the field ruling a lateral(pass went along LOS)In the official stats it was listed as a forward pass though. It made no differance in the game. His team won but not due to the pass he caught.

Where the pass ends in relationship to the neutral zone has no bearing on whether it's illegal touching. It might've been ruled a backwards pass, or #52's eligibility might've been caused by the ball's having touched an opposing player, or conceivably the loose ball might've been judged a fumble rather than a pass.

The short answer is "NO", "NEVER, EVER", with the exception that the forward pass was touched by an opponent.

For the record, there is no such thing in football as a "lateral". A pass is either FORWARD or BACKWARDS, and ANY player is eligible to catch a BACKWARDS pass ANYWHERE (NF: 7-4-1-4).

I found a 2nd illegal touching not called and this one MAY have had a slight impact on the result of the game. On the final drive of regulation 52 caught a pass(not a backward pass and not a fumble) and was tackled for a 4 yard loss. Since illegal touching is penalized from the basic spot(or behind the basc spot if the foul occurs behind the basic spot) this play would have been penalized 5 yards from the end of the run. The loss of down would have made no difference as it would have been 4th down and goal regardless of the penalty. The main difference was the spot of the ball. It would have been on the 15 instead of the 10 and since on the final play of regulation the qb scored on a 10 yd run the question would have been would he have made it from 15 yards out. This is important because if he does not score the game is over and his team loses 6-0. Instead they go on to win 20-18 in 2 OT. The 5 yard difference in the spot due to no illegal touching penalty being called MAY have played a small role in the result. However the coach of the team that got beat would say(and rightfully so) we had chances earlier in the game to score and did not do so so that is why we got beat.

Silly question but was this 11-man football or 8/9-man. You say it was 2a, not being a gopher i don't know their classifications. In 6, 8 or 9 man, numbering is ignored.

11 man. 2nd smallest of our 11 man classes in MN. 11 Man classes are 1A-6A plus 1 9-man class which is simply known as 9 man