Forward Pass question

[bruiser.sixpack]

Should the little flip from a shotgun QB to a WR running across in motion be a passing stat or a running stat? The Pearl QB has 5 TD passes tonight and 3 of them are a flip forward with both hands about a yard in distance.

 

[xxxWalkTheDawg]

Should the little flip from a shotgun QB to a WR running across in motion be a passing stat or a running stat? The Pearl QB has 5 TD passes tonight and 3 of them are a flip forward with both hands about a yard in distance.

A shovel pass? A shovel pass is considered a screen pass.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

Well if a 12 inch flip with both hands is considered a shovel pass, then yes, it IS a shovel pass. But in this play the QB could just as easily hand the ball off to the man in motion, they are that close.

 

[xxxWalkTheDawg]

Well if a 12 inch flip with both hands is considered a shovel pass, then yes, it IS a shovel pass. But in this play the QB could just as easily hand the ball off to the man in motion, they are that close.

Cant comment on the thinking process of it. But you described a shovel pass by definition. Don't matter if it's two yards or 12 inches.

Could be trying to pad someone's stats or something.

 

[patdog]

If the ball travels forward, it's a pass. It does kind of skew the statistics but that's been the rule forever.

 

[Lawdawg.sixpack]

Yep. And one reason coaches utilize that play is that if the ball is dropped, it's incomplete and dead, as opposed to a fumble.

 

[llmsudawg]

It's considered a pass. If the runner drops the ball, it is ruled incomplete and not a fumble. Thats the reason for the flip.

 

[drt7891]

Yep. Any time the ball is not being touched by two players at the same time and changes possession (between said players), it is a pass. There are handoffs and passes, and that is the rule book definition of the difference between the two.

The fact it's a flip or a shovel or anything in between makes no difference. I've often wondered why more coaches don't utilize that kind of pass because if it's dropped, it's incomplete. Pontotoc and Pearl are two teams uses the crap out of that play because it's a lot safer play than it looks.

 

[kired]

Relf had one or two TD passes that were nothing more than a 1 yard forward toss to Ballard when they were running the option.