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

See Examples For:

forward pass

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

Kurt-Lee Arendse scampered into the corner, only to be called back for an Aphelele Fassi forward pass.

From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2024

This was true in general up to the “revolution” when ten yards and the forward pass came and the “new” game was created.

From The Forward Pass in Football by Berry, Elmer