forward pass

American  

noun

Football.

1. a pass in which the ball is thrown in the direction of advance toward the opponent's goal.

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forward pass British  

noun

1. Also called: throw-forward.  rugby an illegal pass towards the opponent's dead-ball line

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Etymology

Origin of forward pass

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Tom Brady retired, then unretired, then retired again, and that dude still seems like he wants to put on a helmet and show Raiders fans what a forward pass should look like.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

Each forward pass strengthens the wave, while each backward pass weakens it.

From Science Daily • Jan. 17, 2026

Already, Tipping is as allergic to subtlety as a forward pass right down the middle on the 50-yard line — or whatever football play would be a really obvious one.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2025

No blocking or moving screens are allowed and the offensive team may not throw more than one forward pass per play.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2024

In spite of that fact few teams have developed anything like a consistently successful ground gaining forward pass attack.

From The Forward Pass in Football by Berry, Elmer