Football Nation illustration showing an illegal forward pass at the line of scrimmage

What Makes a Forward Pass Illegal in the NFL?

Sep 14

2 min read

Updated: Oct 10

The offense may throw one forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage during a down. It cannot throw that pass after the ball has already crossed the line, and neither team may throw a forward pass after a change of possession.

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Quarterback Cooper Rush holds the football with his throwing arm drawn back during Dallas Cowboys training camp — Cooper Rush demonstrates a passing motion during 2019 Dallas Cowboys training camp. Photo: Chris Hunkeler; CC BY-SA 2.0; source via Wikimedia Commons.

Those restrictions apply to every player, not only the quarterback. A short shovel or touch pass through the air can use the team's forward pass just as a deep throw does.

When is the passer beyond the line?

The passer is illegally beyond the line only when his entire body and the ball are beyond it at release. A foot across the line does not establish that foul if part of his body remains behind it.

However, a runner cannot carry the ball beyond the line, retreat behind it and then throw forward. Once the ball has crossed, whether carried or loose, returning behind the line does not restore passing permission.

Second passes and possession changes

A second forward pass is illegal even when both throws occur behind the line. A legal backward pass can precede a forward pass, which is how some trick plays preserve the throwing option.

After an interception or other change of possession, a forward pass is illegal anywhere on the field. That remains true if the original offense regains the ball later in the same down.

Penalty and live ball consequences

A forward pass from beyond the line costs five yards from the release spot and loss of down. A second forward pass, or one after the ball crossed and returned, costs five yards from the previous spot and loss of down. A forward pass after a possession change costs five yards from the release spot.

An illegal pass that is caught or intercepted remains live. The opponent can decline the penalty and keep a better result. An incomplete illegal forward pass becomes dead.

A direct transfer between players is governed by handoff rules, rather than becoming a pass merely because the ball moved forward. Identify the actual action before judging its legality.