"often used in crowded situations. In computer security, a ""Hail Mary attack"" will throw every exploit it has against a system to see whether any of them work. Hail Mary pass A Hail Mary pass, also known as a shot play, is a very long forward pass in American football, made in desperation, with only a small chance of success and time running out on the clock. The term became widespread after a December 28, 1975 NFL playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings, when Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach (a Roman Catholic and fan of ""The Godfather"
"also occur if a holding or intentional grounding penalty occurs in the end zone. Thirteen 99-yard pass plays have occurred in the history of the National Football League: 99-yard pass play A 99-yard pass play is the longest play involving a forward pass that is possible in an American professional football game, and gains 99 yards for the offensive team. Specifically, a 99-yard pass play starts with the line of scrimmage at the offensive team's one-yard line, the quarterback receives the ball and passes it from his own end zone, completes a forward pass, which is then carried for a"
"Other noteworthy examples include: The term ""Hail Mary pass"" has become generalized to refer to any last-ditch effort with little chance of success. In basketball, a ""Hail Mary shot"" or ""Hail Mary throw"" is a shot thrown from a place far away from the basket (e.g., behind the half court line). It is typically attempted when there is not enough time left in the period to execute a more traditional play, and (in a case where the team attempting the shot is in the final regulation period or overtime) when they are either tied or behind by no more than"
"Divisional Playoff Game against the Oakland Raiders, The Steelers found themselves trailing in the score, ""4th and long"", 60 yards from the end zone, and down to their last play. A desperation pass, actually intended for the Steelers' other running back, John ""Frenchy"" Fuqua, ricocheted to rookie running back Franco Harris, who made an incredible, ""shoe-string"" catch and ran the ball in for the winning touchdown. The play, soon dubbed the Immaculate Reception, became one of the most famous and controversial plays in the history of sports. January 14, 1996: Trailing by four points (20–16) and with five seconds remaining"
"with a prayer because the odds against completion are big."" During an NBC broadcast in 1963, Staubach, then a Navy quarterback, described a pass play during his team's victory over Michigan that year as a ""Hail Mary play"". He scrambled to escape a pass rush, nearly getting sacked 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage before completing a desperation pass for a one-yard gain. Arguably the most memorable and replayed Hail Mary pass came on November 23, 1984 in a game now known as ""Hail Flutie"". Boston College was losing to Miami (FL) with six seconds left on the clock"
"yards behind the line of scrimmage in punting situations and usually receive snaps on a fake punt. On rare occasions, and in the early days of the sport, a halfback is asked to throw the ball when running a HB option. This play is generally referred to as a half-back pass, regardless if the player throwing the football is a tailback or fullback. This play is risky because most halfbacks are inexperienced passers, and so it is often run only by certain halfbacks more skilled at passing than most. The halfback can also throw the ball while running a direct"
"99-yard pass play A 99-yard pass play is the longest play involving a forward pass that is possible in an American professional football game, and gains 99 yards for the offensive team. Specifically, a 99-yard pass play starts with the line of scrimmage at the offensive team's one-yard line, the quarterback receives the ball and passes it from his own end zone, completes a forward pass, which is then carried for a touchdown at the other end of the field. Since in American football a forward pass is measured by the number of yards gained in the play, a 99-yard"
"Trap run In American football, a trap play, or trap run, is a run consisting of a defender on the line of scrimmage (either a defensive tackle or defensive end) getting trap blocked by an offensive lineman or back from the opposite (other side of the center) side of the ball. The play is known as a ""trap"" because the strong side offensive lineman will ""block down"" on a linebacker, seemingly leaving a defensive lineman unblocked. As the defensive lineman comes through the seemingly open gap/hole, he is ""trapped"" by the weak side (also known as backside) guard who blocks"
"'double reverse.' Reverse (American football) A reverse (sometimes referred to as an end reverse or criss cross) is a relatively common trick play in American football that involves one or more abrupt changes in the lateral flow of a rushing play. The invention of the reverse is credited to Amos Alonzo Stagg. The invention of the ""naked"" reverse, i. e. a reverse run to the weak side, is credited to Pop Warner. A classic reverse typically begins as a bootleg, sweep or end reverse, but before the ball-carrier crosses the line of scrimmage he hands the ball off to a"
"pass, run or kick the ball. Offensive play-calling continued to focus on rushing up through the 1920s, when professional leagues began to challenge the popularity of college football. In the early days of the professional National Football League (NFL), which was founded in 1920, games were largely low-scoring affairs. Two-thirds of all games in the 1920s were shutouts, and quarterbacks usually passed only out of desperation. In addition to a reluctance to risk turnovers by passing, various rules existed that limited the effectiveness of the forward pass: passers were required to drop back five yards behind the line of scrimmage"
"of a half (half-time or full-time) until the ball becomes dead - any occurrence that would have play restart with a scrum or lineout, or when a team scores. This has led to some ""nail-biting"" finishes where teams losing by only a small margin work their way towards scoring, and games can go on several minutes over time. Something similar can occur at the end of either half in American football, though usually for only a few seconds of additional time, because a play that begins before the half expires continues until the ball is dead regardless of whether there"
"forward progress of a player in possession of the ball, such that his forward progress ceases and is not resumed, or such that he is caused to touch some part of his body to the ground other than his feet or hands, or such that he is forced to go out of bounds. In any such case, the ball becomes dead, the down is over, and play ceases until the beginning of the next play. A tackle is known as a quarterback sack when the quarterback is tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage while attempting to throw a"
"pass from being completed. The primary pass thrower is the quarterback, and statistical analysis is used to determine a quarterback's success rate at passing in various situations, as well as a team's overall success at the ""passing game."" In American and Canadian football, a forward pass is usually referred to simply as a pass, and consists of a player throwing the football towards the opponent's goal line. This is permitted only once during a scrimmage down by the offensive team before team possession has changed, provided the pass is thrown from in or behind the neutral zone. An illegal forward"
"In gridiron football, a play is considered to be dead if a ball or the player carrying the ball goes out of bounds. A forward pass thrown to a player who has one (in the NCAA) or both (in most other codes including the NFL) feet on the ground out of bounds is considered an incomplete pass regardless of whether it was caught or not. In the NFL, the clock stops whenever a player carrying the ball steps out of bounds or fumbles the ball out of bounds. Within the last 2 minutes of the first half, the last 5"
"Post (route) A post is a moderate to deep passing route in American football in which a receiver runs 10–20 yards from the line of scrimmage straight down the field, then cuts toward the middle of the field (towards the facing goalposts, hence the name) at a 45-degree angle. The post route is designed to beat the opposing secondary deep down the field, resulting in a long pass completion. It works particularly well against secondaries that don't have more than one safety who is effective in coverage, or against defenses that employ 2 or 4 deep zone players, leaving a"
"goals from three or fewer passes, while the team to score from a move involving the most passes - the Republic of Ireland - were eliminated in the second round. While multi-pass moves such as those by Brazil against Italy in the 1970 FIFA World Cup Final or Argentina versus Serbia and Montenegro at the 2006 FIFA World Cup are widely lauded as brilliant examples of football, it is partially the rareness of success for such long moves that results in their appreciation and makes them ineffective tactics to attempt to replicate. It is however used by teams desperate to"
"was an incomplete pass, but then passed the ball forward to a wide-receiver, who successfully ran for a touchdown. Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe described the play ""as well executed as anything I’ve ever seen"". In a Division III college football game on October 27, 2007, Trinity University was trailing by two points with two seconds left in a game against conference rival Millsaps College. Starting from their own 39-yard line, Trinity called a play for a short pass across the middle. The receiver pitched the ball backward, with a sequence of additional backward passes as players were in danger"
"Reverse (American football) A reverse (sometimes referred to as an end reverse or criss cross) is a relatively common trick play in American football that involves one or more abrupt changes in the lateral flow of a rushing play. The invention of the reverse is credited to Amos Alonzo Stagg. The invention of the ""naked"" reverse, i. e. a reverse run to the weak side, is credited to Pop Warner. A classic reverse typically begins as a bootleg, sweep or end reverse, but before the ball-carrier crosses the line of scrimmage he hands the ball off to a teammate, usually"
"a single, untimed play from scrimmage. Under college rules, any accepted penalty when time has expired at the end of any quarter results in an extension for one untimed down. In the NFL, with three exceptions, no penalty may move the ball more than half the distance toward the penalized team's goal line. These exceptions are defensive pass interference (see the discussion of that foul for more details), intentional grounding, and offensive holding – but in this last case the exception pertains only if the infraction occurs within the offensive team's own end zone, in which case an automatic safety"
"Lateral pass In American football and Canadian football, a lateral pass or lateral (officially backward pass in American football and onside pass in Canadian football) occurs when the ball carrier throws 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"
"Double pass A double pass is a trick play in American football which can mean either of a running or a passing play. As a running play, it is like a reverse conducted with lateral passes instead of hand-offs. A play with a lateral and then a forward pass can also be called a double pass, and in fact is more commonly today. Teams may keep one of the quarterbacks far wide as a receiver and throw a screen pass to him on a double pass play, where he then throws deep downfield or across the field to the scrambling"
"trailing halfback. The lead halfback is a lead blocker usually looking to block the outside defensive player, a safety or corner. The tight end to the option side 'arc' releases to block the safety. Wishbone formation The wishbone formation, also known simply as the bone, is an offensive formation in American football. The style of attack to which it gives rise is known as the wishbone offense. Like the spread offense in the 2000s, the wishbone was considered to be the most productive and innovative offensive scheme in college football during the 1970s and 1980s. While the record books commonly"
"to contest for possession, resulting in heavy contact that is often, but not always, legitimate. The high, lobbed pass is considered particularly undesirable, because it gives opponents the chance to make very strong tackles. A ""hospital pass"" in American football is a pass thrown high to a receiver, generally one that is running sideways rather than running downfield. The receiver is forced to jump while running at full speed to catch the ball. A defender coming the other way, attempting to tackle the receiver, can cause a collision where both players are moving at full speed and the receiver is"
"seem to be any definitive proof of what the play was originally called or why. Hook and ladder (football) The hook and ladder, or hook and lateral, is a trick play in American, Canadian football & indoor American football. It starts with the hook, which is where a wide receiver runs a predetermined distance, usually 10 yards down the field, and along the sideline, and ""hooks in"" towards the center of the field to receive a forward pass from the quarterback. Another offensive player (usually another wide receiver) times a run so that he is at full speed, just behind"
"tackle would form the inside wall of the lane. The fullback would lead the path through the lane for the half back, who received a pitch from the quarterback. Smashmouth offense In American football, a smashmouth offense is an offensive system that relies on a strong running game, where most of the plays run by the offense are handoffs to the fullback or tailback. It is a more traditional style of offense that often results in a higher time of possession by running the ball heavily. So-called ""smash-mouth football"" is often run out of the I-formation or wishbone, with tight"
"after the incident in this game. Fifth Down Game (1940) The Fifth Down Game is a college football game that was conceded by the victor after films confirmed that errors by the game officials had allowed an unpermitted fifth down as the last play of the game. In American football, a team is allowed four attempts or ""downs"" to move the ball or towards the goal line. If the offense moves ten yards in four attempts or fewer, it gains a ""first down,"" which restarts the process. If, after four attempts, the offense has neither scored nor gained ten yards,"
"American football this is known as a lateral and is much less common than in rugby union. However designed laterals (often known as pitches) which take place behind the line of scrimmage are quite common in American football and are often a way that a ball is transferred from the quarterback to a running back on sweep plays or to a wide receiver on speed sweeps or a reverse. In both codes, if the ball is caught by an opposition player this results in an interception and possession changes hands. In both games it is permitted to bring down the"
"Halfback option play The halfback option play is an unorthodox play in American and Canadian football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to another eligible receiver before crossing the line of scrimmage. The key to the play is fooling the defensive players, primarily the defensive backs. If the linebackers and/or the defensive line are fooled and believe the ball carrier is attempting a run, they will pursue the runner, abandoning their pass defense responsibilities and thereby leaving pass receivers uncovered. If the defensive backs are not fooled, the running"
"to another teammate as he passes him running down the field). A notable example of a trick play is the touchdown pass to Hines Ward (Steelers) in Super Bowl XL. The Seahawks' Jon Ryan threw a touchdown to Garry Gilliam in the 2015 NFC Championship Game. A pass rush (or, colloquially, 'pressure,' e.g., ""Chicago really brought the pressure on that last play"") occurs when the defense reads a pass play and elects to rush some combination of linemen (either 3 or 4 linemen in typical 3-4 or 4-3 schemes), in an effort to affect the pass that the opposing quarterback"
"snap and throwing a touchdown pass during an NFL game in 2004, and LSU kicker Colt David rushing for a 15-yard touchdown in 2007 after receiving the ball on a blind lateral from holder (and starting quarterback) Matt Flynn. Fake field goal A fake field goal is a trick play in American football. Simply, it involves a running or passing play done out of a kick formation. Usually the holder (often the punter or backup quarterback on most teams) will throw or run. Danny White was both quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980s and often executed"
"moderate to deep passing route in which a receiver runs 10–20 yards from the line of scrimmage straight down the field, then cuts toward the middle of the field (towards the facing goalposts, hence the name) at a 45-degree angle. It is designed to stretch the opposing secondary deep down the field, opening holes in the coverage over the middle. It works particularly well against secondaries that don't have more than one safety who is effective in coverage, or against safeties with 2 or 4 deep zone players, attacking the void in the middle of the field. It tends to"
"attempt a field goal only in the following situations: Except in desperate situations, a team will generally attempt field goals only when keeping a drive alive is unlikely, and its kicker has a significant chance of success, as a missed field goal results in a turnover at the spot of the kick (in the NFL) or at the line of scrimmage (in the NCAA). In American high school rules and Canadian football, where a missed field goal is treated the same as a punt, most teams still opt not to attempt field goals from very long range since field goal"
"Fake field goal A fake field goal is a trick play in American football. Simply, it involves a running or passing play done out of a kick formation. Usually the holder (often the punter or backup quarterback on most teams) will throw or run. Danny White was both quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980s and often executed this play. Less frequently, the placekicker, who virtually never handles the ball in an American football game, will serve as the passer or rusher on a fake field goal. Examples include then-New England kicker Adam Vinatieri receiving a direct"