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There are virtually no restrictions on the use of laterals. Any number of laterals may be thrown in a given play. Any player may throw a lateral from any position on the field to any other player. (But if the lateral is thrown from beyond the line of scrimmage and it advances the ball, it is considered an illegal forward pass.) If the lateral is complete and the receiver is behind the line of scrimmage, the receiver may in turn throw a forward pass. If the defensive team takes possession of the ball, they may also freely throw laterals, but not forward passes.

Unlike a forward pass, if a lateral hits the ground or an official, play continues because the lateral is considered a Fumble . The ball may be recovered by either side. In NFL rules a backward pass other than the snap, if muffed by a receiver before it first touches the ground, after it touches the ground the ball becomes dead if an opponent recovers it.

The "forward lateral" is used to describe a lateral pass that actually went forward.

In College Football , the lateral is used more extensively than in professional football, more in the same manner as is done in the two different sports of Rugby Union and Rugby League .

One infamous college play involving the lateral pass is simply known as The Play . In the 1982 Big Game between Stanford and University Of California, Berkeley (also known as California or Cal), with four seconds left and trailing by one point, Cal ran the ball back on a Kickoff all the way for the game-winning touchdown using five laterals, eventually running through the Stanford Band who had already taken the field (assuming that the game was already over).

A well-known NFL lateral pass occurred during the Music City Miracle play at the end of the 2000 playoff game between the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills .

Another well known lateral in the John Carney missed the potentially game-tying Extra Point for the Saints, and the Saints lost 20-19.

In the 2006 Rose Bowl Game between The University Of Texas and The University Of Southern California , Reggie Bush of USC attempted a lateral to his teammate which resulted in a fumble that was then recovered by Texas. Conversely in the same game, Vince Young of UT successfully converted a lateral to his teammate which was carried in for a touchdown. Texas would go on to win the game 41-38.