# "Music City Miracle" - legality of a forward pass

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-city-miracle-legality-of-a-forward-pass/725292>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [July 16, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-city-miracle-legality-of-a-forward-pass/725292 "2015-07-16T03:02:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-city-miracle-legality-of-a-forward-pass/725292/1 "2015-07-16T03:02:04Z")

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The “Music City Miracle” was a playoff game between the Bills and Titans, and the controversy was whether or not there had been an illegal forward pass on the game-winning kickoff return.  
Regardless of whether that play was legit or not, what \*would \*be a legal forward pass in a kickoff play? The line of scrimmage was the kickoff line, so where could the ball legally have been thrown forward, by any Bills or Titans player?

By a Bills player, from behind the Bills’ kickoff line, towards the Titans’ end zone?

By a Titans player towards the Titans’ end zone? (But that would be a lateral.)  
Or is this simply a play where no legal forward pass is possible?

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**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-city-miracle-legality-of-a-forward-pass/725292/2 "2015-07-16T04:13:37Z")

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No forward passes are allowed after a change of possession, including kicks.