Forward pass (?)

cdnRef · #1 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 08, 2003, 03:16pm

I've never seen it before but I was pretty impressed.

I worked a game on Friday where the QB caught his own pass. He cocked the hammer on a three step drop, but when he pulled the trigger the ball just shot straight up in the air. He looked up, saw the ball, caught it and took it forward about 3-4 yards. I was doing some thinking about this because it's interesting from an academic point of view.

There is no numbering requirement for the QB so he could have had an inelgible number on. That would have been an interesting call. Fortunately he was #12.

What if he would have tried to throw it again? Does a vertical pass count as forward or backward? The QB's shoulders were pointing forward so I think I would have ruled it as a forward pass were there any issue.

Thoughts on this? It's really bizarre to me.

This was a NFHS game.

Warrenkicker · #2 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 08, 2003, 03:50pm

If his arm action was forward and the ball came out during that motion then it was a forward pass if he was contacted by the defense during the motion. If he was not contacted by anyone then you must rule on the direction of the ball only. If the ball did not travel forward then it was backward. If he was #62 and it was a forward pass then you would have illegal touching.

BktBallRef · #3 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 08, 2003, 04:55pm

Quote:

Originally posted by cdnRef
What if he would have tried to throw it again? Does a vertical pass count as forward or backward? The QB's shoulders were pointing forward so I think I would have ruled it as a forward pass were there any issue.

The initial direction of the pass determines whether it's forward or backward. No matter which, he can throw another pass if he chooses to, as long as he's behind the NZ.