Can a Fumbled Lateral Be Advanced by the Defense ???

[Colts And Orioles]

Originally Posted by ChaosTheory

I might butcher it, but my understanding is that there's a distinction between a "fumble" and "everything else" (backward pass, pitch, lateral, snap), but only for the offense.

Offense can only kill the play by recovering their fumble. Unless it's the goofy 4th down/2-minute rule where the guy that fumbled it can pick it up, but nobody else on offense can.

But if it's an "everything else", then all bets are off.

And for defense ...... all bets are always off.

o


This is for the defense only, and this is specifically for a fumbled/mishandled backward pass.

The refs got it right in the 1983 Colts-Patriots game that I cited, and I'd really like to know if that rule is still in effect ...... the wording of the rule in the OP covers backwards passes that hit the ground (which can be advanced), but not necessarily backwards passes that are fumbled/mishandled and then hit the ground (which could not be advanced at the time of this game, in 1983.)

o