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Football Officiating => National Federation Discussion => Topic started by: fudilligas on November 03, 2022, 11:04:32 PM

Title: IG or Not
Post by: fudilligas on November 03, 2022, 11:04:32 PM
Team B is leading 21-14 with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game with the ball on the B-25....The QB for Team A is being chased and just before he is tackled he throws a backward pass which goes OB at the B-35....Is this IG even though the ball was thrown backwards and there was a loss of yardage....or  is it IG because he threw the backward pass OB to conserve time
Title: Re: IG or Not
Post by: GA Umpire on November 03, 2022, 11:17:54 PM
Team B is leading 21-14 with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game with the ball on the B-25....The QB for Team A is being chased and just before he is tackled he throws a backward pass which goes OB at the B-35....Is this IG even though the ball was thrown backwards and there was a loss of yardage....or  is it IG because he threw the backward pass OB to conserve time
A backward pass cannot be illegal by definition.  7-4-1. 7-5-2.
If the QB tosses the ball backward and oob to conserve time, it is totally legal.  Redding's, P. 43.
Title: Re: IG or Not
Post by: NVFOA_Ump on November 04, 2022, 06:29:58 AM
Agreed, IG only applies to forward passes.  Backward passes are always legal regardless of how “bad” they look.
Title: Re: IG or Not
Post by: AlUpstateNY on November 04, 2022, 07:52:07 AM
Agreed, IG only applies to forward passes.  Backward passes are always legal regardless of how “bad” they look.

Not only "legal", but backward passes remain LIVE after being grounded.
Title: Re: IG or Not
Post by: HLinNC on November 04, 2022, 08:25:47 AM
It isn't IG at all.  It's the next down at the B35.
Title: Re: IG or Not
Post by: AlUpstateNY on November 04, 2022, 03:32:05 PM
It isn't IG at all.  It's the next down at the B35.

You are correct in suggesting "Intentional Grounding" applies ONLY to "Forward Passes". NFHS:7-4 covers "Fumble & BACKWARD pass, 7-4-2 advises, "If a fumble or BACKWARD PASS is caught or RECOVERED by any player, he may ADVANCE. " NEVER blow a backward pass dead simply because it might be incomplete (Behind, at or Beyond the NZ).

NFHS 2-31-6 confirms that, stating, "A backwards pass ends when it is caught, RECOVERED or is Out of bounds."
Title: Re: IG or Not
Post by: Ia-Ref on November 04, 2022, 03:35:45 PM
Any player at any time can throw the ball backward.  If it goes oob, the clock stops.
The next down will start where the ball went oob.