jet sweep pass

[ck4597]

Got the following from a friend who is coaching deep in playoffs....shotgun formation....slot back motions and takes hand to hand handoff from QB and in front of QB...he runs wide (jet sweep) stops and throws a forward pass...coaching friend was told by officials last week that this was illegal as it constituted 2 forward passes???  I have looked in rules 2 and 7 and in case plays and find nothing to support illegal.

any thoughts or am I missing something

[Rulesman]

From your description, it doesn't appear to me the first handoff meets the definition of a pass as in 2-31-1.

[Atlanta Blue]

If the first action is truly handoff, this is a legal play.  But in some cases, the QB flips the ball to the back in motion, actually letting go of the ball before it reaches the back.  In that case, the first action is a pass, and the play would be illegal.

I got caught on this as a statistician.  Marlon Brown, Georgia wide receiver, goes in motion across the formation, Murray flips the ball to him as he passes.  Except I didn't see that the ball left Murray's hand before reaching Brown.  I called the play a rush, and was corrected by the Georgia coaches that this was a pass.

Of course, later in the same period, they ran the same play the other direction with Malcolm Mitchell.  Again, i rule a rush, they want it to be a pass.  But on this one, replays clearly showed that Murray did not let go of the ball before it got to Mitchell, so that one stayed as a rush.

[AlUpstateNY]

Depending on exactly where this type of exchange actually happens it can be difficult to accurately detect, and the prohibition of "replay" at the interscholastic level prevents instant reassessment.  As game tactics evolve adjustments in focus becomes necessary.  The skill of kickers, being able to drive a free kick into the ground to produce a high bounce extending over R's free kick line, has necessitated an official (responsible for K's Free Kick line) to focus on that possibility for EVERY Free Kick.

Variations on a QB/RB exchange can require a similar specific focus, which may suggest an adjusted positioning or view point.  Surprise being an enemy of detection, any advance warning of such variances, either from pre-game discussion with coaching staff, or from previous game officials working with the teams in question can be invaluable in helping avoid problems. 

It's always important, when confronted with unplanned surprises, to remember how valuable such a warning might be to the crew(s) follwing you and the importance and benefit of sharing such detail whenever possible. Sometimes you share, sometimes you benefit from those sharing.

[BuckTrump]

If this is truly a "I'm not sure type of thing" than I might suggest (call me out if this is out of line) that if the ball was fumbled during the first "hand-off" then it was an incomplete pass; if a second pass was thrown after the first "handoff" than it was a true handoff.  Avoid the flag as no real advantage was gained.

I am NEVER interested in splitting hairs and it sounds like thats what may happen on a play like this.

Do not mistake that answer however as not taking a stand.......if you saw something that says "pass" or "handoff" than call it as such!

[LAZebra]

There is also another philosophy to consider; a trick play must be run flawlessly (with regard to the rules) to be legal.  Even if you do not split hairs on the average play, many would say that it is necessary to have a strict interpretation when a gadget play pushes the envelope. JMHO