In a hook and ladder play, the quarterback throws downfield to a receiver, the receiver laterals back to another player, and that player (attempts to) run for more yards. How are the stats recorded on such a play?
Let’s say the QB throws 10 yards downfield. The WR catches it and laterals it back 2 yards to the running back. The RB runs 22 yards, for a total play of 30 yards.
Does it go down as a 30 yard completion for the QB? 10 yards? 8 yards? Is the receiver credited with 8 or 10? Does the RB get 20 or 22, and are they recorded as rushing or receiving yards?
It’s all receiving/passing yardage, because it was a pass play from scrimmage. The WR gets the reception stat, and yardage up to the point the RB gets the ball. The RB get receiving yardage from the point he received the ball to the end of the play, but no reception. QB gets all the passing stats.
Thanks, I found the pertinent section which confirms what @Munch says.
It can get pretty confusing. If I’m reading that right, if the ball doesn’t cross the line of scrimmage on the original forward pass, then it is credited as a rushing play by the player who received the lateral. If the pass crossed the line of scrimmage and is lateraled behind the line, it counts as a passing play.
But I might be reading it wrong. As I said, it gets a bit confusing.
The wording is a little awkward and context-dependent. But no, once you complete a forward pass, the play is a passing play regardless of any subsequent laterals. A forward pass, followed by a lateral behind the line of scrimmage, would be a very unusual play, but if it happened, the pass-receiver would get the reception and the lateral-receiver would get any yardage gain.
And yes, you can end the game or even the season with zero receptions for 10 yards. It has happened.
Example: First-and-10 at the A 20, Team A’s possession. A-12 completes a forward pass to A-88 at the A 10. A-88 runs to the A 14, then laterals the ball to A-80 who caught the lateral at the A 12. A-80 then runs to:
(a) The A 30, where he is downed. Scoring: A-12 gets 1 completed pass for 10 yards. A-88 gets 1 pass reception for 0 yards. A-80 gets 10 pass reception yards and 0 pass receptions.
It’s interesting that the first receiver in the example (A-88) caught a pass behind the line of scrimmage, then lateraled the ball well before the line of scrimmage. He gets a reception and 0 yards receiving, rather than negative yards receiving.
If Player A catches a pass he’s credited with a reception. But if he then laterals to Player B who runs 10 yards, Player B has 10 recieving yards but no receptions.
I realize the method in which it would happen. But my question was: Has it ever happened? A receiver finishes a game with plus receiving yards but zero receptions.
Here’s the boxscore from a 2001 Giants-Eagles game, in which the Giants ran a hook-and-ladder play at the end of the game. On that play, Kerry Collins completed a pass to Tiki Barber, who then lateraled to Ron Dixon; Dixon ran the ball for 62 yards, before being pushed out of bounds at the Eagles’ six yard line, ending the game.
The boxscore credits Dixon with zero receptions for the game, but 62 receiving yards.
Last year Joe Flacco, who is of course a quarterback, finished with zero receptions for minus 3 yards. They were undoubtedly accrued on one of those desperation “last play of the game, don’t get tackled with the ball” plays.
Laterals are out of fashion these days–too much risk of a turnover in a high-scoring era when you can move down the field by more conventional means. But you do still see them on the last play of the game. Scroll down the receiving stats for most NFL seasons and you’ll see somebody like Flacco.
Go back to the Deion Sanders era, and you’ll find guys with zero interceptions but interception yardage. Inspired by Deion, laterals after turnovers were all the rage. Now, I can’t remember the last time I saw one.