Football Officiating > National Federation Discussion

Illegal Forward Pass, Illegal Batting or All Good?

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animalspooker:
I am a 30 year official and have one of my underlings who sends me plays all the time.  Sent me one today that I'm not sure of. 

2nd and 3 on A20.  A1 drops back in the pocket to A13.  Receiver A2 is pushed out of bounds at the A27 but returns immediately at the A28.  A1 throws the ball to A2 near the sideline at A30.  A2 controls the ball at the A31 and throws the ball to End A3 at the A33.  He runs for a TD and after scoring spikes the ball at the feet of B4 in the end zone.

I told him that I would flag at A31 for Illegal Batting (7-4?) and then flag again for an Unsportsmanlike in the end zone.  Administer both in the order they occurred since one is a dead ball foul. 

I don't think an airborne receiver, by definition, can actually 'SECURE' a pass, at least not in HS.  You could call illegal forward pass maybe, but batting is probably friendlier and may be a bit of what we like to call Preventive Officiating...prevents me from getting a butt chewing!

What say you?

BetweenTheLines:
I would assume you're saying this fellow is in the air when he tosses it forward. Per 9-7 3 this action is legal. So if you don't call an illegal forward pass then you will have a TD and offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties after B's coach gets through with you.

VALJ:
We don't by definition (2-2) have a bat here, as A2 is not slapping or striking the ball. However, I know that practice is to treat this as a bat.

9-7-2 says that a pass or fumble in flight can be legally batted ("no player shall bat a loose ball other than a pass or a fumble in flight...").  9-7-3 says that a pass in flight may be batted in any direction by an eligible receiver unless it is a backwards pass batter forward by the passing team.

So unless there is something I'm missing in the book, this is a legal play.  Enforce the UNS for the spike on the try or on the subsequent kickoff per 8-2-5.  Unless, as BetweenTheLines says, the B coach picks a UNS foul up arguing the play, in which case they offset.

BetweenTheLines:
Oops, 9-7-3.

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