⚾ A wide throw 🏈 A sideways toss ➡️ To throw outward

pitch-out

6.1

A sideways pass by the quarterback to a teammate, often a running back

noun
/ˈpɪtʃ aʊt/

Jargon

: pase lateral

The quarterback executed a perfect pitch-out to the running back, who sprinted down the sideline.

Examples

A quick pitch-out can catch the defense off guard and create big opportunities.
During the final play, the team tried a risky pitch-out to gain extra yards.
The quarterback executed a perfect pitch-out to his running back.
During the game, the team relied on a quick pitch-out to gain yardage.
The quarterback executed a perfect pitch-out to the running back, who sprinted down the sideline.
During the final play, the team tried a risky pitch-out to gain extra yards.
A quick pitch-out can catch the defense off guard and create big opportunities.

Synonyms

toss

vspitch-out

25 2.0

A short throw of the ball to another player

is a quarterback sideways or backward throw aimed at a running back

pass-back

vspitch-out

Specialized

3.2

A ball moved backward to a teammate to keep possession

is made by the quarterback to a running back in American football

Surface Forms

pitch-out singular

pitch-outs plural

Morphology

pitch-out = pitch (transparent) = out + pitch

The football sense is a direct lexicalization of 'pitch' + 'out' meaning to toss the ball outward/sideways to a teammate. [Postprocessing: moved 'out' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Pitch-out comes from pitch ('to throw') plus out ('away'), and in American football it describes the quarterback tossing the ball sideways or backward 'out' to a teammate to avoid a tackle. So remembering 'throwing the ball out to the runner' explains why the play is called a pitch-out.