Editing Lateral pass (section)

{{Short description|Type of short pass in football}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2021}}
[[File:US Navy 031108-N-9593R-011 Navy quarterback Craig Candeto pitches the ball out.jpg|thumb|A lateral during an option play.]]
In [[gridiron football]], a '''lateral pass''' or '''lateral''' (officially '''backward pass''' in [[American football]] and '''onside pass''' in [[Canadian football]]), also called a '''pitch''' or a '''flip''', occurs when the ball carrier throws or hands the football to a teammate in a direction parallel to or away from the opponents' goal line. A lateral pass is distinguished from a [[forward pass]], in which the ball is thrown forward, towards the opposition's [[end zone]]. In a lateral pass the ball is not advanced, but unlike a forward pass a lateral may be attempted from anywhere on the field by any player to any player at any time.

While the forward pass is an invention of the North American games, the lateral and backward pass is also a part of [[rugby union]] and [[rugby league]], where such passes are the norm. Compared to its use in rugby, laterals and backward passes are less common in North American football, due to a much greater focus on ball control in [[American football strategy]]; they are most commonly used by the [[quarterback]], after taking the [[snap (gridiron football)|snap]], to quickly transfer ("pitch") the ball a short distance to a nearby [[running back]] (or, rarely, [[wide receiver]]) on a [[rush (gridiron football)|rushing]] play. Laterals are also often seen as part of a last-minute desperation strategy or as part of a [[trick play]]. Examples of plays utilizing the lateral pass are the [[toss play|toss]], [[Flea flicker (American football)|flea flicker]], [[hook and lateral]], and [[Buck-lateral series|buck-lateral]].