What Is a Lateral in Football? Backward Pass Rules

A lateral is the common name for a backward or sideways pass. The NFL formally calls it a backward pass. A runner may throw one while the ball is live, including beyond the line of scrimmage or after an interception.

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If it hits the ground, it remains live. That is the essential difference from an incomplete forward pass.

Judge the football’s path

Throwing style does not determine direction. An underhand toss can be forward, and an overhand throw can be backward. The positions of the players’ feet do not settle it either.

The NFL treats a throw as forward if the ball initially moves toward the opponent’s goal line or first touches the ground, a player, an official or another object closer to that goal line than its release point. Special rules address a passer whose throwing motion is materially affected by contact.

For a normal backward pass, the ball must not gain ground in that direction. This is why camera perspective can make a close lateral difficult to judge.

Where and when a lateral is legal

A runner can pitch sideways or backward on an option play, a return or a desperate final play. There is no fixed limit on the number of backward passes during one live down.

Any player of either team may catch or recover a backward pass and advance it. A grounded backward pass does not acquire the special teammate advancement limits that apply to certain fumbles.

For example, a receiver catches a forward pass, runs beyond the first down marker and pitches backward to a teammate. The teammate can continue running. If the pitch falls untouched, either team can recover the live ball.

A later forward pass has limits

A backward pass behind the line can precede the offense’s one legal forward pass. But that forward pass must still satisfy every requirement: no earlier forward pass, no prior change of possession, and the ball must not already have crossed the line of scrimmage. Retreating behind the line does not restore permission once the ball has crossed it.

Out of bounds is different

A backward pass out of bounds between the goal lines is next placed at the inbounds spot. On a play starting after the two minute warning, before a change of possession, it also carries five yards and loss of down as an action that conserves time. End zone outcomes depend on the separate scoring and impetus rules.

Keep learning

Illegal forward passes: Understand why returning behind the line cannot reset a play.

Screen passes: See why a dropped backward screen stays live.

The Hail Mary: Compare another final play strategy.

Browse the Football 101 collection for more rules and strategy guides.

Sources

2026 NFL Rulebook, Rule 8, Section 1, Articles 1 and 2; 8, Section 7, Articles 1 and 2. NFL rules reviewed October 10, 2026.