# NFL: "Shuttle Pass" or "Shovel Pass" ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 12, 2001, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961 "2001-11-12T19:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![djbdjb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@djbdjb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/djbdjb)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961/1 "2001-11-12T19:22:37Z")
I thought shovel pass was correct, my friend the other. I did a yahoo search and found both references. Anybody have any evidence on which is correct? ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961/2 "2001-11-12T19:33:21Z")
I’ve always heard shovel pass, named for the motion the quarterback makes on the throw. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it called a “shuttle pass.” RR ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961/3 "2001-11-12T19:34:42Z")
No hard evidence, but I want to make the point that different coaches sometimes use different terminology for a given type of play or for different position. Though I learned “shovel pass” first in high school ball, and hear that term probably 20 times for every time I hear “shuttle pass”, I’d consider both terms correct. ---
**Author:** ![kpm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c57346/32.png) [@kpm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kpm)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961/4 "2001-11-12T19:53:40Z")
It’s called shovel because of the arm motion the QB uses - underhand like you use to shovel. I think “shuttle” comes from some people with accents making it sound that way. Sometimes you will hear it called the Utah pass - maybe that was the first team to use it. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961/5 "2001-11-12T20:36:58Z")
I’ve always heard it as “shovel pass”, but once when I was dictating a game story over the phone, the guy on the other end typed in “shuttle pass” and nobody bothered to change it. “Shuttle” really doesn’t make sense. It’s not like it’s going back and forth between people. I’ve heard Utah pass. I believe that when Lee Grosscup played for Utah a LONNNGGGG time ago, he was quite proficient with the pass. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961/6 "2001-11-12T21:12:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\*Though I learned “shovel pass” first in high school ball, and hear that term probably 20 times for every time I hear “shuttle pass”, I’d consider both terms correct. \*\* That’s like considering people who pluralize words by adding **'s** or use quotes for emphasis correct. Just 'cuz lots of people screw up in the same way it doesn’t mean they haven’t screwed up. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961/7 "2001-11-12T21:19:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > \*\*I’ve always heard it as “shovel pass”, but once when I was dictating a game story over the phone, the guy on the other end typed in “shuttle pass” and nobody bothered to change it. > > “Shuttle” really doesn’t make sense. It’s not like it’s going back and forth between people. > > I’ve heard Utah pass. I believe that when Lee Grosscup played for Utah a LONNNGGGG time ago, he was quite proficient with the pass. \*\* The guy’s name is “Grosscup”?? And he’s a “jock”? 🙂 That’s disturbing. Or fitting, depending on how you look at it. And, no, I don’t want to see any pictures, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961/8 "2001-11-12T22:06:40Z")
Lee Grosscup has been the longtime color announcer for Cal football on radio. He used to work for ABC from time to time. Fairly normal looking guy. Tall. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kevin\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevin_H)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961/9 "2001-11-13T01:08:06Z")
Is it “hook and lateral” or “hook and ladder”? I always thought it was hook and ladder, but recently someone else was saying that it’s hook and lateral…Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![JaxBeachBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@JaxBeachBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaxBeachBoy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-shuttle-pass-or-shovel-pass/92961/10 "2001-11-13T01:25:03Z")
It’s hook and ladder, but I have heard it called hook and lateral, which technically would be correct. It would seem likely that the “ladder” part derived from “lateral” anyway.