What Is an Eligible Receiver In American Football?
In American football, an eligible receiver is a player who is allowed to catch passes. Eligibility varies by league and play type; in most leagues, only players designated as wide receivers or tight ends are eligible to catch passes.
There are three main ways a receiver can become ineligible: going out of bounds, being covered by another player, or having committed a foul.
Understanding The Rules
If a receiver goes out of bounds, he cannot come back in and catch the ball. Doing so is called an illegal touch, and the other team will be awarded the ball. If another player covers a receiver, he is not allowed to catch the ball unless he can show that he was not interfered with.
In some leagues, there are also restrictions on which players can catch passes. For example, in the NFL, only quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends are eligible to catch passes; all other players are ineligible. In college football, any offensive player can catch a pass, but in the NFL, only certain players are allowed to do so.
What Is an Ineligible Receiver?
In football, an ineligible receiver is a player who cannot legally catch a forward pass. This usually happens when the player is on the wrong side of the line of scrimmage when the ball is thrown or when he is not one of the original four offensive backs on the field at the start of a play. There are other reasons a player might be ineligible, such as if he commits certain fouls during a play.
If an ineligible receiver catches a forward pass, it is considered an illegal act and results in a penalty for the offense. The penalty yardage depends on whether the infraction occurred on offense or defense and whether it was in the end zone. If the ineligible player catches the ball in his own end zone, it is a safety.
What Is The Penalty For an Ineligible Receiver In The NFL?
The ineligible receiver penalty in the NFL is one of the most commonly called penalties in the game. It is a 5-yard penalty that is called when an offensive player catches a pass from a teammate who is not eligible to receive a pass. This penalty is designed to keep players from illegally gaining an advantage by using ineligible players as part of their passing attack.
How To Become an Eligible Receiver?
The most common way is to line up outside the formation, either at the far left or right side. They can also motion across the formation before the snap. This must be done while remaining behind the line of scrimmage, and the receiver cannot be the closest player to the sideline when he lines up at his original position.
The tight end can also become eligible by declaring himself as such before the snap. He can do this by lining up in a three-point stance or flexing his body wide like a receiver. If he does not declare himself eligible, he will be considered an ineligible receiver.
