NFL Rules & Regulations for an Illegal Forward Pass

The National Football League was originally founded as the American Professional Football Association in 1920. Back when it began, football still had many rules and regulations that it would need to refine before it became the streamlined sport known today. One of those regulations was the concept of the illegal forward pass.

  1. Second Forward Pass

    • In the NFL and at many other levels of football, a team on offense may only throw one forward pass per play. A forward pass is considered a throw from one player to a player who is ahead of him on the field. If a team is found to have made multiple passes on one play, the play will be ruled dead and the team will be penalized 5 yards and they will repeat the same down. This penalty will be called even if both throws are behind the line of scrimmage.

    Out of Bounds

    • When an eligible receiver goes out of bounds and comes back in, he is not eligible to catch the ball. If a quarterback throws to this receiver and he catches it, the play will be ruled dead and an illegal forward pass will be called. The team the penalty is called on will be penalized 5 yards and the same down is repeated.

    Ineligible Receiver

    • A forward pass is illegal if it first touches a player who is not noted as an eligible receiver. Eligible receivers on the field typically refer to the running backs, the wide receivers and the tight end. One of the offensive linemen (a tackle) can be made eligible, but it must be cleared with the official prior to the start of the play. If any players other than these eligible receivers touch or catch a forward pass, the play is ruled dead and the team is penalized 5 yards and they repeat the down. If a ball is deflected by a receiver or a defender, this rule is no longer in effect and any player can catch the ball.

    Crossing the Line

    • At the beginning of an NFL play, there is an established line of scrimmage from which the offensive team snaps the ball. The quarterback (or any other players eligible to throw the ball) must make a throw from behind this line of scrimmage without having crossed the line and come back. If his entire body crosses the line and he steps back behind the line to throw it, the play will be ruled dead and the team will have a 5 yard penalty and a chance to repeat the down.

    Forward Pass Beyond Line

    • A forward pass cannot be thrown if a player is beyond the line of scrimmage. It doesn't matter who makes the throw (quarterback, receiver, running back) if the player is ahead of the line of scrimmage with his entire body, there will be a 5 yard penalty and a loss of the down. Players can, however, throw the ball behind them at any time.

    Intentional Grounding

    • If a quarterback makes a forward pass behind the line of scrimmage that is simply in an effort to get rid of the ball without any receivers in the area, intentional grounding will be called. This penalty results in a 10 yard loss, a loss of down and a safety (2 points for the other team) if the penalty occurred from his own end zone. If the play is more than 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, the spot of the foul will be the next line of scrimmage, and there will be no need to tack on the additional 10 yards.