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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forward pass

That’s when Harvard, the school that helped give the world baking soda and the forward pass, cooked up its greatest piece of ingenuity yet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

France's first try was scored by the electric Louis Bielle-Biarrey, but only after what appeared to be a forward pass in the build-up.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 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

The changes relating to the forward pass since 1912 have been mostly of minor significance.

From The Forward Pass in Football by Elmer Berry

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