A fumble in football is a turnover that occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed, scoring, or going out of bounds. It can happen when the ball is knocked out of the ball carriers hands, or it can simply slip out as a result of poor grip. A fumble may be forced by a defensive player who either grabs or punches the ball or butts the ball with their helmet. A fumbled ball may be recovered and advanced by either team. In particular, a fumble can only happen when a player is not already down by contact.
A fumble is one of three events that can cause a turnover, the other two being an interception or a turnover on downs. It is different from an incomplete pass, where a forward pass is attempted and is not caught. In this latter case, it is simply an incomplete pass. However, if the receiver catches the ball, but then drops it after gaining control of the ball, that is considered a fumble.
Fumbles can occur in various play scenarios, but they most commonly occur on running plays. They can also occur during a lateral pass, where a player attempts to pitch the ball back to another teammate. If the ball is dropped or missed on a lateral pass, it is a live ball. If the ball rolls out of bounds after being fumbled, the team who fumbled retains possession of the ball and the ball is placed at the spot of the fumble.
In the NFL, a fumble is any act, other than a pass or kick, which results in a loss of player possession. If a quarterback is in the act of throwing the ball and his arm is moving forward when he loses the ball or he is recovering from a fake pass, it is not a fumble. If a wide receiver has caught the ball but has not made a “football move,” losing the ball will not be a fumble. The key difference between an incomplete pass and a fumble is that the defense can win possession of the ball if fumbled. If a ball is fumbled, whichever team can reacquire it first will have control of the ball. If they are not tackled or go out of bounds, then play will remain live and the new player in possession can advance with the ball.
