Editing Fumble (section)

==Intentional fumbling==
A very rarely used [[trick play]] known as the "fake fumble" calls for the quarterback to lay the ball on the ground as he backs up after receiving the snap, so that a pulling [[Guard (American football)|guard]] can pick it up and run the ball around the end. Coaches are very leery of calling this, however, as a team must be able to execute it flawlessly in order for it to have a chance of working in a game situation. The guard must also be able to run the ball competently and protect it when being tackled, both not usually part of the skill set for the position.

The "fake fumble" is in fact a real one as far as the rules are concerned, and if the defense manages to get the ball, the coach's judgement is likely to be questioned by fans and media alike.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} While it is a crowd pleaser when done properly, the risk far outweighs the likely reward {{citation needed|date=September 2024}}. For this reason it is most likely to be used in informal touch football games. It was sometimes used in the [[college football|college game]] before the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] banned it in 1992. It has almost never been used in the NFL or any other professional league.

The best-known fake fumble is probably the [[Fumblerooski]] play in the 1984 Orange Bowl (see below).

Fumbling forward, as the [[Holy Roller (American football)|Holy Roller]] play (see below) demonstrated, once was a viable offensive tactic in desperate situations, but the rules have been changed to discourage that.