Fumble

A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled) or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession. A fumble may be forced by a defensive player who either grabs or punches the ball or butts the ball with his helmet (a move called "tackling the ball"). A fumbled ball may be recovered and advanced by either team (except, in American football, after the two-minute warning in either half or 4th down, when the fumbling player is the only offensive player allowed to advance the ball, otherwise the ball is ruled dead at the spot of recovery if the ball bounces backwards or spotted at the point of the fumble if the ball travels forward). It is one of three events that can cause a turnover (the other two being an interception or turnover on downs), where possession of the ball can change during play.

Under American rules a fumble may be confused with a muff. A muff occurs where a player drops a ball that he does not have possession of, such as while attempting to catch a lateral pass or improperly fielding a kicking play such as a punt (you can't "fumble" a loose ball). Ball security is the ability of a player to maintain control over the football during play and thus avoid a fumble.

Read more about Fumble:  Rules, Play During Fumbles, Intentional Fumbling, Use in Place of Opening Coin Toss, Famous Fumbles, In Statistics

Famous quotes containing the word fumble:

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    Anne Sexton (1928–1974)

    I fail to see what fun, what satisfaction
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    Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)