Tuck Rule

The tuck rule was a controversial rule in American football used by the National Football League from 1999 until 2013. It stated:

NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2. When player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble.

Ordinarily, if the quarterback drops or loses the football while he is bringing the ball forward in a passing motion, and the ball touches the ground, it is considered an incomplete pass. If the quarterback drops or loses the football at any other time, it is considered a fumble, as if any other player had dropped it.

The tuck rule was an exception to this rule. It applied if the quarterback moved his arm forward in a passing motion, but then changed his mind and tried to keep hold of the football rather than attempt a pass. In this situation, if the quarterback lost the ball while stopping his passing motion or bringing the ball back to his body, it was still considered a forward pass (and thus an incomplete pass if the ball hit the ground). Mike Pereira, the former director of officiating of the NFL, noted that the design of the rule obviates the need to consider the quarterback's intent, although the referee still must judge whether the initial forward movement of the arm was "intentional" on the part of the player or not.