Remember That Play When Number 24 Ran and Fumbled the Ball and Fumbled Again

Live loose ball in gridiron football

The rate of fumbles by running backs in the NFL has decreased steadily since the AFL–NFL merger.

A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a role player who has possession and command of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By dominion, it is whatsoever deed other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful handing that results in loss of ball possession by a histrion.

A fumble may be forced past a defensive thespian who either grabs or punches the ball or butts the ball with their helmet (a move called "tackling the ball"). A fumbled ball may be recovered and advanced by either team (except, in American football, after the two-minute warning in either one-half or quaternary downward, when the fumbler is the only offensive player allowed to advance the ball, otherwise the ball is ruled dead at the spot of fumble, except when it is recovered for a loss.

A fumble is one of 3 events that can cause a turnover (the other two being an interception or on downs, though the latter does not count toward the squad'south total turnovers), where possession of the brawl can change during play.

Nether American rules a fumble may be confused with a muff. A muff occurs where a player drops a ball that he does not take clear possession of, such as while attempting to take hold of a lateral pass or improperly fielding a kicking play such as a punt (you cannot "fumble" a loose ball). Ball security is the ability of a player to maintain control over the football during play and thus avoid a fumble. Thus, losing possession of the ball via a bollix includes non but dropping the brawl before beingness downed; merely, also having a ball taken away, or "stripped" from the runner's possession before existence downed.

Rules [edit]

If the brawl is fumbled the defensive team may recover the ball and even advance information technology to their opponents' goal. The same is true for the offense, but usually when the offense recovers the ball it simply tries to downward it. In American football the offense cannot advance the ball if information technology recovers its own fumble on 4th down, or in the terminal 2 minutes of a half, unless the ball is recovered by the fumbler (in that location are no such restrictions in Canadian football). However, if the offense fumbles the ball, the defense recovers and then fumbles back to the offense, they would go a beginning down since possession had formally changed over the grade of the play even though the ball had never been diddled expressionless. In American football, there is no split up signal to indicate a bollix recovery. If the criminal offense recovers its ain bollix, the official volition indicate the recovery by a hand bespeak showing the next down. If the defense recovers the fumble, the official will betoken with a "beginning downwards" signal in the management the recovering team is driving the ball. Some officials have erroneously used a "starting time down" bespeak when the offense recovers its own fumble and the recovery did non result in a get-go down.

This is not the aforementioned thing every bit when a forwards pass is attempted and is not caught. In this latter case, it is simply an incomplete pass. Withal, if the receiver catches the brawl, simply then drops it after gaining control of the ball, that is considered a fumble.

Any number of fumbles can be committed during a play, including fumbles by the team originally on defense. Almost famously, Dallas Cowboys defender Leon Lett fumbled during Super Basin XXVII while jubilant during his own fumble render.

A sometimes controversial maxim is "the ground cannot crusade a bollix". If a player is tackled and loses control of the ball at or later on the time he makes contact with the ground, the player is treated every bit downwards and the ball is non in play. However, in the NFL and CFL, if a ball carrier falls without an opponent contacting him, the basis can indeed cause a bollix. This is because in those leagues the ball carrier is not "downwards" unless an opponent first makes contact, or the runner is out of bounds. In most other leagues, as soon equally the human knee or elbow touches the basis, the ball carrier is considered down. It is as well possible for the ground to cause a bollix in college football if the brawl hits the footing before any part of the ball carrier'southward body (other than the hand or foot) touches the footing. ^[ane]An example was the bollix by Arkansas quarterback Clint Stoerner vs. Tennessee in 1998.

When a fumbled brawl goes out of bounds before being recovered, the result varies:^[ii]

• A fumble going out of bounds between the end zones is retained by the last team with possession (in Canadian football, the last squad to touch the ball). If the brawl was moving backwards with regard to the recovering team, it is spotted where information technology went out of bounds. If the brawl was moving forwards, information technology is spotted where the fumble occurred (the fumble itself cannot advance the ball).
• If a ball is fumbled in the field of play, goes forwards into the opponent's cease zone, and and then goes over the end line or sideline, a touchback is awarded to the defensive team.
• If a squad fumbles the brawl out of bounds in its own finish zone (even if the brawl moves forrad out of the end zone earlier going out of bounds), or fumbles in the field of play and the ball so goes into that team'south end zone and out of premises, the event depends on which team acquired the ball to enter the stop zone. If the possessing team possessed or forced the ball into the terminate zone, information technology is a safe, subject field to the momentum rules that use to safeties. If the opponent forced the brawl into the end zone, it is a touchback.

A fumbled brawl that is touched by an out-of-bounds player is considered an out-of-premises fumble, even if the brawl never leaves the field of play.

In addition, a punted or place-kicked ball that touches any part of a player on the receiving team, whether or not the histrion ever gains control, is considered to be live and is treated similar a fumble. Also, lateral passes that are caught by a fellow member of the opposing squad are recorded as fumbles as opposed to interceptions.

Play during fumbles [edit]

Since footballs tend to bounce in unpredictable means, specially on artificial turf, attempting to recover and advance a fumbled ball is risky even for those with expert manual coordination. Coaches at lower levels of the game normally therefore adopt that players, peculiarly those such as interior linemen who do not normally handle the ball in the course of play, simply fall on the brawl. Gaining or retaining possession is more important in most situations than attempting to advance the ball and possibly score, and there have been many instances where those attempting to do so accept wound up fumbling the brawl back to the other squad.

Recovering and advancing a fumble is as well made hard, and potentially injurious, by the effect on play. Since neither team is on offense or defense force while the brawl remains loose, there are no restrictions on the type of contact allowed every bit long as all players are making legitimate efforts to recover it. A loose ball has been described equally the only situation in football where the rules are suspended.^{[ citation needed ]}

If the ball remains loose, every player on the field will eventually gravitate towards it, increasing the anarchy around it. Spectators savor the suspense. Some players, particularly offensive linemen, accept a reputation for taking advantage of the situation to exercise things to opponents that would otherwise describe penalties, since the officials' attention is necessarily focused on the brawl and abroad from the players trying to get to it. About commonly, players volition "pile on" opponents already down trying to recover the ball. Some NFL players also study that pokes in the eyes, pinches or other abuse is mutual in post-fumble pileups, conduct which has sometimes led to confrontations, fights or even brawls.

The usual aftermath of a fumble, at every level of play, is a pile of players, many however squirming diligently despite the whistle, surrounded by teammates pointing upfield (the hand betoken for a first down) while the officials slowly extricate them in an effort to determine who has won possession. If two unlike players take hands on the ball, it is often a judgement call on the officials' part equally to which team gets information technology. In the NFL and CFL this has frequently been the occasion for coaches to telephone call for a review of the instant replay.

Fumbles recovered for touchdowns in the end zone are often the simply mode offensive linemen score points.

Proper fumble recovery [edit]

The nigh obvious manner to recover a loose football game would be to fall prone atop it and cradle it between both artillery confronting the abdomen. Apprentice players are seen doing this all the time, especially when playing touch on football, and it can fifty-fifty exist seen in professional contests.

However, coaches tell players non to do this in game situations if at all possible, since not only is the ball likely to eject loose again once other players pile on, there is also a possibility of injury from the ball being driven into the soft organs with great force.

Instead, players are taught to autumn on their sides and augment their cradling with a thigh and upper body, if possible. This greatly reduces both the adventure of losing the brawl and the potential for injury (at least from the brawl).

Fumbles cannot be recovered with whatever torso part that does non also involve at least one of the recovering histrion's arms.

Coaches are also increasingly encouraging their players to utilise the "scoop and score" method of picking it upward and attempting to render information technology for a touchdown.^[3]

Intentional fumbling [edit]

A very rarely used play a joke on play known as the "fake fumble" calls for the quarterback to lay the ball on the footing every bit he backs upwardly subsequently receiving the snap, so that a pulling baby-sit can selection it upward and run the ball around the end. Coaches are very leery of calling this, withal, as a team must be able to execute information technology flawlessly in order for it to have a run a risk of working in a game situation. The guard must also be able to run the ball competently and protect it when being tackled, both non normally part of the skill prepare for the position.

The "fake bollix" is in fact a real 1 as far as the rules are concerned, and if the defense manages to go the ball, the coach'due south judgement is probable to be questioned by fans and media alike. While it is a crowd pleaser when done properly, the gamble far outweighs the probable advantage. For this reason it is near likely to exist used in informal touch football games. Information technology was sometimes used in the college game before the NCAA banned it in 1992. It has virtually never been used in the NFL or whatever other professional league.

The all-time-known fake fumble is probably the Fumblerooski play in the 1984 Orange Basin (come across below).

Fumbling forward, as the Holy Roller play (come across below) demonstrated, once was a viable offensive tactic in desperate situations, but the rules have been inverse to discourage that.

Use in place of opening coin toss [edit]

The XFL, a competing pro league which played its sole flavor in 2001, used a bollix recovery instead of a coin toss to decide which squad would get to choose whether to boot off or receive at the opening of the game and before overtime. A player from each team would dart, alongside the other, toward a loose brawl at the centre of the field, and whoever was able to gain possession won the right for their team to decide.

The idea was that such a key element of the game would be decided by a test of playing skill, not chance. Considering of a high rate of injury in these events, the idea never caught on in any other level of football, and the money toss remains the standard.

Famous fumbles [edit]

Fumbles have sometimes played a role in deciding games. Some of these take been and so unique as to non only earn their own distinctive sobriquets, but to change the way the game has been played afterwards.

College football game [edit]

• The Fumblerooski

NFL [edit]

• The Holy Roller: The Oakland Raiders won a September 10, 1978, contest against divisional rivals the San Diego Chargers through another intentional fumble. With ten seconds left, down twenty–14, quarterback Ken Stabler fumbled the ball forward to avoid beingness sacked at the Chargers' 15-yard line. Ii other players, Pete Banaszak and Dave Casper, attempted to recover it merely batted information technology forward when they could not. Finally it reached the stop zone, where Casper cruel on information technology for the tying touchdown, which cleared the way for the extra point that gave the Raiders the win. Officials decided to let the touchdown on the grounds that the fumbles did not appear to be intentional and thus could non be considered forward passes, but Stabler freely admitted his was. Chargers fans have referred to the play equally the Immaculate Deception ever since, and later the 1978 season, the NFL instituted the current rule that a frontwards fumble in the last two minutes of play (or on quaternary down) can only be advanced, if recovered by the fumbling team, by the thespian who originally fumbled.
• The Miracle at the Meadowlands: Later that flavour, on Nov 19, 1978, the New York Giants were closing out an apparent 17–12 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. With 31 seconds left to play, they had the ball on third down. The Eagles had no timeouts left. All the Giants had to do was snap the ball one more time, and since they had knelt with the ball on the play before, information technology was expected they would do it and the game would be over. However, the kneel-down play was not universally accustomed as an honorable mode to win a game at the time, and Giants' offensive coordinator Bob Gibson ordered quarterback Joe Pisarcik (with whom he had been having a running feud over play-calling authority) to hand the brawl off to fullback Larry Csonka for one more run up the center to end the game. Csonka was reluctant to take the ball, and instead Pisarcik fumbled the handoff, allowing Eagles' cornerback Herman Edwards to render information technology for the winning touchdown. The Fumble, as outraged Giants' fans withal call information technology, spurred the Eagles to the playoffs that flavour and precipitated a complete overhaul of the Giants' coaching and direction staff, somewhen reversing years of refuse. Gibson was fired the next twenty-four hour period. The post-obit week, kneeling with the ball when possible to run out the clock and preserve a victory became standard operating procedure in the NFL.
• The Bollix: The dubious honor of having committed "The" fumble goes to Earnest Byner of the Cleveland Browns. On Jan 17, 1988, he lost the ball simply short of the Denver Broncos' goal line with 65 seconds left in the AFC title game. He appeared to exist on his fashion to a sure touchdown until Jeremiah Castille barely managed to achieve out and jar the brawl loose from his grip. The touchdown-that-wasn't would have tied the game (assuming a made extra point) and kept alive the Browns' Super Bowl hopes. Instead, the Broncos spotted them a prophylactic and the game ended in a 38-33 Broncos victory. The play has entered Cleveland sports lore equally one of several instances in which the urban center's teams were frustrated at the last minute on the fashion to possible future glory.
• Super Bowl XXVII: Leon Lett's loss of the ball on the style to an apparent touchdown late in the game has gone down in football history as i of the nigh preventable fumbles. The Dallas Cowboys defensive end had recovered one of the Bills' tape-setting five lost fumbles in tardily in the game and had slowed downwards as he approached the goal line, waving his arms out to his side in celebration. Buffalo Bills wide receiver Don Beebe, who had sprinted down the field unseen by Lett, caught up inside the 5 yard line and was able to knock the ball loose from backside. The ball later on rolled out of the end zone for a touchback, giving the ball dorsum to the Bills. Beebe'south team by that point had no hazard to win, just Lett's premature showboating prevented the Cowboys from setting a new record for most points scored by one team in a Super Bowl. Despite an otherwise laudable career, that play and Lett's later unnecessary attempt to recover a blocked field goal, which cost Dallas the adjacent season'due south Thanksgiving 24-hour interval game, have led to him being ill-remembered past football fans.^{[ commendation needed ]}
• Romo'due south fumbled hold: In the 2006–07 NFL playoffs Wild Card round versus the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys quarterback and kicking holder Tony Romo dropped the ball as kicker Martín Gramática was set up to kick a go-ahead 19-yard field goal. Romo recovered his fumble and attempted to run the brawl in for a touchdown or a kickoff down, but was tackled inches short of the start down marking by Jordan Babineaux, allowing the Seahawks to run the clock out and win the game. Since this game, a common stereotype has been used to paint Romo as a "choker" in big moments past detractors with this particular incident equally the virtually common case.
• The butt fumble: On November 22, 2012, during the primetime Thanksgiving Solar day game betwixt the New York Jets and New England Patriots, Jets quarterback Marker Sanchez slipped and collided with the backside of his teammate Brandon Moore and fumbled the brawl, which was recovered by the Patriots' Steve Gregory and returned for a touchdown. Adding insult to injury, the Jets' Joe McKnight fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which Julian Edelman recovered for another Patriots touchdown.

Professional Canadian football [edit]

• In the fourth quarter of the 42nd Grey Cup game in 1954, Chuck Hunsinger of the Montreal Alouettes lost the brawl on the Edmonton Eskimos' fifteen-grand line. Jackie Parker of the Eskimos recovered the bouncing ball on the xx and ran ninety yards for what would bear witness to exist the game-winning touchdown. Generations of fans, reviewing the motion-picture show, have disagreed on whether Hunsinger fumbled or attempted a frontwards laissez passer to an ineligible receiver.
• In the 105th Grey Loving cup in 2017, the Toronto Argonauts' Cassius Vaughn capitalized on a Calgary Stampeders fumble by Kamar Jorden at the Toronto nine-yard line and returned the ball for a Grey Loving cup-tape-setting 109 yards for a touchdown. The two-point catechumen tied the game up 24–24 with under v minutes to play in regulation, and Toronto went on to win 27–24.

In statistics [edit]

Game box scores commonly record how many fumbles a team made and how many it recovered. A bollix is credited to the last actor who handled it from the possessing team, regardless of whether it may have been his fault or non.

Records [edit]

NFL [edit]

Teams [edit]

• Virtually own fumbles, season: 56; Chicago Bears, 1938; San Francisco 49ers, 1978.
• Fewest fumbles, season: 6, New Orleans Saints, 2011.
• Most fumbles, game: 10; Phil-Pitt "Steagles" vs. New York Giants, October nine, 1943; Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings, November 12, 1967; Kansas Urban center Chiefs vs. Houston Oilers, Oct 12, 1969; San Francisco vs. Detroit Lions, December 17, 1978.
• Most fumbles lost, season: 36, Chicago Cardinals, 1959.
• Fewest fumbles lost, flavour: 2, Kansas City Chiefs, 2002.
• Most fumbles lost, game: eight, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Redskins, Oct 25, 1976; Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, December 23, 1990.
• Virtually opponents' fumbles, season: 50, Minnesota Vikings, 1963; San Francisco 49ers, 1978.
• Fewest opponents' fumbles, season: xi, Cleveland Browns, 1956; Baltimore Colts, 1982; Tennessee Titans, 1998.
• Nearly fumbles recovered, season: 58, Minnesota Vikings, 1963.
• Most fumbles recovered, game: 10, Denver Broncos (5 ain, 5 opponents) vs. Buffalo Bills, December 13, 1964; Pittsburgh Steelers (5/5) vs. Houston Oilers, December nine, 1973; Washington Redskins (2/8) vs. St. Louis Cardinals, October 25, 1976
• Fewest fumbles recovered, season: nine, San Francisco 49ers, 1982.
• Near own fumbles recovered, season: 37, Chicago Bears, 1938.
• Fewest ain fumbles recovered, season: ii; Washington Redskins, 1958; Miami Dolphins, 2000.
• Almost opponents' fumbles recovered: 31, Minnesota Vikings, 1963.
• Fewest opponents' fumbles recovered: iii, Los Angeles Rams, 1974; Green Bay Packers, 1995.
• Most fumble recoveries for touchdowns, season: 5; Chicago Bears (1 own, 4 opponents'), 1942; Los Angeles Rams (ane own, 4 opponents'), 1952; San Francisco 49ers (ane own, four opponents'), 1965; Oakland Raiders (two own, iii opponents'), 1978.
• Most fumble recoveries for touchdowns, game: 2, many teams in many games.
• Most own bollix recoveries for touchdowns, season: 2; Chicago Bears, 1953; New England Patriots, 1973; Buffalo Bills, 1974; Denver Broncos, 1975; Oakland Raiders, 1978; Dark-green Bay Packers, 1982 and 1989; New Orleans Saints, 1983; Cleveland Browns, 1986; Miami Dolphins, 1996; Buffalo Bills, 2000.
• Most own fumble recoveries for touchdowns, game: 2, Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots, September 1, 1996

• Almost opponents' fumbles recovered for touchdowns, flavor: four; Detroit Lions, 1937; Chicago Bears, 1942; Boston (AAFC), 1948; Los Angeles Rams, 1952; San Francisco 49ers, 1965; Denver Broncos, 1984; St. Louis Cardinals, 1987; Minnesota Vikings, 1989; Atlanta Falcons, 1991 and 1998; Philadelphia Eagles, 1995; New Orleans Saints, 1998; Kansas City Chiefs, 1999.
• Most opponents' fumbles recovered for touchdowns, game: 2, many times by many teams, most recently by the Green Bay Packers vs. St. Louis Rams, November 29, 2004.

Players [edit]

• Most fumbles, career: 166, Brett Favre, 1992–2010
• Near fumbles, season: 23; Kerry Collins, 2001 and Daunte Culpepper, 2002.
• Nearly fumbles, game: vii, Len Dawson, Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Diego Chargers, Nov 15, 1964.
• Nigh fumbles recovered, career: 56, Warren Moon.
• Near fumbles recovered, flavour: 12, David Carr, 2002.
• Nearly fumbles recovered, game: four; Otto Graham, Cleveland Browns vs. New York Giants, October 25, 1953; Sam Etcheverry, St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Giants, September 17, 1961; Roman Gabriel, Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers, October 12, 1969; Joe Ferguson, Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins, September xviii, 1977; Randall Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Oakland Raiders, Nov 30, 1986 (OT).
• Nigh own fumbles recovered, career: 56, Warren Moon.
• Most ain fumbles recovered, season: 12, David Carr, 2002.
• Near own fumbles recovered, game: 4, holders the same as nigh fumbles recovered, game, above.
• Most opponents' fumbles recovered, career: 29, Jim Marshall
• Nigh opponents' fumbles recovered, flavour: nine, Don Hultz, 1963.
• Most opponents' fumbles recovered, game: 3, held past 15 unlike players, almost recently Brian Young, St. Louis Rams vs. Baltimore Ravens, November ix, 2003.
• Longest bollix return: 104 yards, Jack Tatum, Oakland Raiders vs. Greenish Bay Packers, September 24, 1972; Aeneas Williams, Arizona Cardinals vs. Washington Redskins, November 5, 2000.
• Virtually fumble recoveries or returns for touchdowns, career: 6, Jason Taylor.
• Most bollix recoveries or returns for touchdowns, flavor: ii, over xxx players, most recently Jeremy Chinn Carolina Panthers 2020
• Nearly own fumbles recovered or advanced for touchdowns, career: two; Ken Kavanaugh, Mike Ditka, Gail Cogdill, Ahmad Rashād, Jim Mitchell, Drew Pearson, Del Rodgers, Alan Richard, and Kevin Curtis.
• Most own fumbles recovered or avant-garde for touchdowns, flavour: two; Rashad, 1974, Rodgers, 1982, and Curtis, 2007.
• Virtually opponents' fumbles returned or recovered for touchdowns, career: 6, Jason Taylor.
• Most opponents' fumbles returned or recovered for touchdowns, season: ii, over thirty players as described above ending with Chinn.
• Virtually opponents' fumbles returned or recovered for touchdowns, game: Fred "Dippy" Evans, Chicago Bears vs. Washington Redskins, Nov 28, 1948, Jeremy Chinn, Carolina Panthers vs Minnesota Vikings, November 29, 2020.
• Fewest fumbles, career (more 400 touches): Jamaal Williams, never fumbled, 622 touches (through 2021 NFL flavour)
• Most consecutive touches without a bollix:
  • 712 (LaDainian Tomlinson, longest streak since 1991)^[four]
    • 870 (Steven Jackson, Rams/Falcons/Patriots RB-November 13, 2011 fumble against Browns was last bollix of career) ^[five]

Games [edit]

• Almost fumbles: xiv, Washington Redskins (8) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (half dozen), November xiv, 1937; Chicago Bears (7) vs. Cleveland Browns (seven), November 24, 1940; St. Louis Cardinals (8) vs. New York Giants (half-dozen), September 17, 1961; Kansas Urban center Chiefs vs. Houston Oilers, October 12, 1969.
• Almost fumble recoveries for touchdowns: 3; Detroit Lions (2) vs. Minnesota Vikings (1), December 9, 1962 (ii own, 1 opponents'); Green Bay Packers (2) vs. Dallas Cowboys (1), November 29, 1964 (all opponents'); Oakland Raiders (ii) vs. Buffalo Bills (1), December 24, 1967 (all opponents'); Oakland Raiders (2) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1), September 24, 1995 (all opponents'); Tennessee Titans (2) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (i), January 2, 2000 (all opponents').
• Most opponents' fumbles recovered for touchdowns: three (encounter last four above).

See also [edit]

• Knock-on (disambiguation)
• List of National Football game League almanac forced fumbles leaders

References [edit]

1. ^ Referee (July 21, 2017). "Football game Basis Rules". Referee.com . Retrieved Jan ii, 2022.
2. ^ "2020 NFL Rulebook Article viii-7-3". Retrieved September 14, 2020.
3. ^ Easterbrook, Gregg, October 11, 2005, Tuesday Morning Quarterback, NFL.com
4. ^ [Tom Perrotta], January eighteen, 2012, Thou Shalt Never Bollix, The Wall Street Journal Online
5. ^ "Steven Jackson". NFL.com . Retrieved October 15, 2018.

Wait upwards fumble in Wiktionary, the costless dictionary.

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumble

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