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Glite Dictionary
🏈 A thrown ball 🤖 Data computation
forward pass

forward pass

2 3.8
A throw toward the opponent's end to move the ball downfield
  • noun
  • /ˈfɔrwərd pæs/
translation icon : pase hacia adelante
  • During the game, the team executed a perfect forward pass that gained them significant yardage down the field.
  • an illegal forward pass
  • throw a forward pass

Orgy We played football on Saturday and just pretended like the forward pass didn't exist.

Examples

  • The quarterback successfully threw a forward pass to the wide receiver, moving the ball closer to the opponent's end zone.

  • In the entire match, Seattle completed three forward passes in the offensive third.

    Blog text (2)

  • A forward pass is complete by the offense.

    Blog text (28)

  • Coach Hayes maintained that three things can happen when you attempt a forward pass, and two of them are bad.

    Blog text (7)

  • A wild hitch and lateral, followed by a few more laterals, goes nowhere after an illegal forward pass.

    Blog text (8)

  • Notre Dame teams were playing football with end Knute Rockne catching a forward pass.

    Big Jake (1971)

  • Cooper ran 94 yards for a touchdown, which was then called back because the lateral was shown, in replay, to be a forward pass.

    Blog text (9)

  • After an illegal forward pass penalty set Georgia Tech back, Washington found running back Zach Laskey all by himself for a 28-yard touchdown.

    Blog text (11)

  • It is a foul for illegal touching if a forward pass (legal or illegal) is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage.

    Blog text (32)

  • Then on the next play, Kondrath spread the field and shuffled a forward pass to Airman 1st Class Nick Anderson for the team's second touchdown to take a 14-6 advantage into halftime.

    Blog text (29)

Synonyms

screen pass
vsforward pass
  • Jargon
4 6.1

A short forward pass where teammates block to protect the receiver

is focused on gaining distance rather than using blockers to protect a short catch
aerial
vsforward pass
  • Jargon
2 6.1

A high thrown pass to a teammate far down the field

is used more generally and may not be high or very deep
passing play
vsforward pass
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A play in American football where a player throws the ball forward to a teammate

is the single throw itself rather than the whole coordinated play
flare
vsforward pass
  • Jargon
1 7.3

A short forward pass toward the sidelines to a moving back

prefers longer downfield throws instead of short sidelines throws
spot pass
vsforward pass
  • Jargon
5.7

A throw that aims the ball at a planned place for the receiver to catch

focuses more on gaining distance downfield rather than hitting a set location
flare pass
vsforward pass
  • Jargon
7.0

A short forward pass to a player running toward the sideline in American football

is usually longer and aims to gain distance downfield rather than short sidelines throws

How Far

Hail Mary
  • Informal
14 8.2
forward pass
2 3.8
to pass
167 1.0
pass-back
  • Specialized
3.2

Surface Forms

forward pass singular
forward passes plural

Morphology

forward + pass

The phrase transparently combines a direction ('forward') with the idea of sending or moving something ('pass'), so a learner who knows both words can plausibly infer it means sending/moving something onward. However, its specific technical sense as a stage of computation in a neural model is a domain-specific extension that is not fully predictable from the everyday meanings (and the example 'pass' given is sports-specific), so prior exposure or context is usually needed for the precise interpretation.

Etymology

Forward pass comes from American football, where a player throws the ball in a forward direction to a teammate ahead on the field. So a forward pass means a throw 'toward the opponent's end' to move the ball forward and gain distance.