Can you fumble backwards out of bounds on purpose? (1 Viewer)

[scttybb]

This may be a dumb question but, I was watching the end of an old game between the Steelers and Browns.The Browns were down by a field goal and driving. The reciever caught the ball in the middle of the field and tried to make it to the sideline before the clock ran out. They had no timeouts. Could he have thrown the ball backwards out of bounds and stopped the clock? I know there is a rule about fumble on purpose to advance the ball but never heard if you can fumble it backwards.

 

[VaeVictus]

Yeah, if it's thrown/pitched backwards, it's a lateral. I don't know that you can do it to stop the clock. I'd imagine not. Aaron Brooks fumbled backwards by about 26 yards one time when he turned and threw the ball at Wayne Gandy against San Diego if I remember correctly.

 

[Ltr0x]

humm


in the saints monday night against the vikkings .. .some saints player I think tried to get to the ball and made it go to out of bounds ... so they applied some kind of penalty ... I dont remeber but something like that

 

[lsg7989]

humm


in the saints monday night against the vikkings .. .some saints player I think tried to get to the ball and made it go to out of bounds ... so they applied some kind of penalty ... I dont remeber but something like that

nah, that was when he picked up reggie's fumble (which should have been a penalty) and while he was returning he was being dragged down when he purposely fumbled forward to another vikings player and the play was penalized for illegal forward pass. I remember everything from that game

 

[RichB]

I've always wondered the same thing and seem to recall an instance where this happened and they gave the player his forward progress and kept the clock running. It has to be against the rules in some way or you'd see teams using this as a method for stopping the clock when they know they'll be tackled inbounds.

 

[St. PJ]

You can fumble it out of bounds, but it has to be legit. For instance, you can't kick it out of bounds so that a defender can't recover; you'd get a penalty for doing so.

 

[Bongzilla]

but if you fumble it out of bounds backwards wouldn't the clock keep running?

I know if you go backwards out of bounds they keep the clock running. If you have forward momentum the clock will stop. Not sure about fumbles

 

[scttybb]

I guess more people would do it if it were legal. I just don't know what the penalty would be ig there was one.

 

[HailStateSaintsFan]

Mere conjecture, but......

The ball would probably be placed at the point of forward progress and the clock kept running. That in itself would be enough penalty as the clock continues to run. <B>IF</B> a further penalty was warranted, it would most likely be a ten second rundown from the pont of the ball going out of bounds, after which the ball would be whistled into play, leaving the offense a slight chance of getting the play off if there were more time left.

No hard rule, just MHO.

 

[Osaka]

Don't they already do a run off of the clock for any offensive penalty or when players get hurt with no timeouts?

Its probably just a 5-10 yd penalty anytime you do it, but in the end of the game you get the clock run off tacked on.

 

[albionmoonlight]

From a Q&A online with a former NFL ref:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-071030askjerrymarkbreit,0,2696399.story

Late in a game, with no timeouts, a receiver catches the ball, gets a few yards upfield, but realizes he can't get out of bounds before being tackled. Can he purposefully fumble the ball out of bounds to stop the clock? Thanks! -- Hank Jones, Joliet

A team is not permitted to conserve time inside of one minute of either half by throwing a backward pass out-of-bounds or by throwing an illegal forward pass in order to stop the clock. For illegally conserving time, the penalty is loss of five yards and a ten-second runoff of the clock will be administered by the referee under certain circumstances. In short, the answer to your question is, "No."

 

[scttybb]

From a Q&A online with a former NFL ref:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-071030askjerrymarkbreit,0,2696399.story

Well that answers it.

 

[NateDaGreatSaint]

From a Q&A online with a former NFL ref:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-071030askjerrymarkbreit,0,2696399.story

That's an awesome column.

 

[RichB]

Did you guys notice that something similar happened for the 'Phins on Sunday? I was like, "Hey! We just talked about that!"

 

[Tapxe]

I know if you go backwards out of bounds they keep the clock running. If you have forward momentum the clock will stop. Not sure about fumbles

I believe that is because of the forward progress rule. When a player catches the ball while coming back to the QB and is hit immediately driven backwards by the DB, then the ball is spotted at the point of the catch not where he's eventually tackled even out of bounds. Since the spot is forward progress, the clock keeps running since that is in bounds.

I'm not sure about if the player makes the catch and runs out of his own power backwards, but likely he'd turn and run for the sidelines parallel or forward if the DB isn't right on him.