Football rules question...forward/backward pass on a windy day (1 Viewer)

[FunkyPlutos]

Saw this in a high school game last night - not necessarily the ruling, but just got me thinking.

It was a VERY windy night and the QB threw a backward pass on a screen play, but the wind was so strong that it blew it forward and landed incomplete. I was wondering about the rule on this. There was NO DOUBT that the pass was originally thrown backwards, but was a floater on a screen play, so the wind took it forward. Is it always where the ball lands or is it how the QB releases the ball?

I've never thought about it before, has anyone seen it happen before, and how was it ruled? Or are there any officials out there that could help out on this one. Just curious.

Thanks.

 

[CA_7]

The initial direction of pass determines forward or backwards

Hi Jerry. I had a question from the Bears-Rams MNF game. Late in the first half there was a booth review where they overturned a fumble and said that Grossman's arm was going forward and that it was an incomplete pass. But if you look at the replay, even though his arm was going forward the ball actually landed about 2 yards behind him, which I would think would constitute a lateral. Even though his arm had a passing motion, the ball went backwards, which seems like it would be a fumble. --Mike Schuman, Kenosha, Wis.

The initial direction of a pass determines whether it is a forward or a backward pass. In the Grossman play, the initial direction was forward, but the contact by the defense turned him slightly so that the ball went backwards. Under NFL rules, there is no lateral pass. A pass is either forward or backward, and, if a ball is thrown laterally, it is considered a backward pass, and anyone on either team has the right to recover and advance.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...heref-headlines

 

[Das Boot]

What if a pass is thrown parallel to the LOS and the wind blows it backwards behind the receiver?

Sounds like this would be ruled incomplete pass according to the answer above.