Typically, with just the remaining seconds in the clock and the team in need of a touchdown to win or tie in the match, you could see the player throw a last-minute throw towards the end zone. The throw in desperation has an official name, and that title is”the” Hail Mary play. Find out all you must know about the game and more in the following article.
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What is a Hail Mary Pass in Football?
The Hail Mary play is a forward pass with a long range toward the goal zone. While it’s not a very complicated game but it can be crucial in the final outcome of an event. Most often, the game ends in the form of a jump ball which involves a team of defensive backs and receivers running to take the ball. In the event that a wide receiver can catch the ball in the final zone the ball will result in an end-of-game touchdown.
How Many Points is a Hail Mary?
Most of the time the case, a successful Hail Mary pass can result in the scoring of a touchdown, which can result in 6 points of offense. However there are certain situations in which teams may make use of a Hail Mary passing as a strategy. A team may decide to make the desperation pass in the initial half of the game to attempt to reach in the field goal zone. Utilizing an Hail Mary play in this manner in the beginning can ensure that the team doesn’t go back at halftime with a loss of points.
Where Did the Name Come From?
Many people attribute Elmer Layden and Nobel Kizer as the first two people to mention the Hail Mary pass in football. Kizer along with Layden participated in football in the early 1920s at Notre Dame, a Catholic college. They often talked about how they prayed a Hail Mary prayer before touchdown attempts. After a win with Georgia Tech, Kizer, an offensive lineman told the media, “That Hail Mary play is the best thing we have ever had.” .”
in 1935. Elmer Layden was Notre Dame’s head coach during”the “Game of the Century” against Ohio State. The game ended when at the end of the match, Bill Shakespeare threw a touchdown that won the game for Wayne Millner. Following the game, Layden called the throw an “Hail Mary” play, just like his teammate did 10 years earlier.
Why Would a Quarterback Throw a Hail Mary Pass?
Quarterbacks typically throw this type of pass in the 4th quarter of an extremely close game in order to gain the advantage or force the game into overtime. The quarterback typically throws the ball badly, because the quarterback is attempting to make it as long as he can. This desperate throw is usually one of the last plays of the game, and it’s typically a spectacular end.
Famous Hail Mary Passes
Although they are uncommon however, there have been notable successes with Hail Mary passes in football the past. These previous throws are what make the legend of this throw so appealing. A single of the most famous Hail Mary throws in the NFL was in 1975 in the year 1975, when Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach made a 50-yard throw at the wide receiver Drew Pearson to win the NFC Divisional Championship against the Minnesota Vikings.
The year 1984 was the time Doug Flutie threw an equally famous Hail Mary pass while playing for Boston College. He made a 52-yard throw for Gerald Phelan in the game’s final moments to beat the University of Miami Hurricanes. The pass is so well-known, Boston College immortalized it with an effigy of Flutie in the year 2008.
In this 2015-16 NFL year, Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers threw two important Hail Mary pass. In December, when the team was playing Detroit Lions, down 20-23 Detroit Lions, Rodgers threw his 61-yard ball from the Packers 35-yard line. A tight finish Richard Rodgers caught the pass in the end zone, scoring the game-winning score. The game was later dubbed”the “Miracle on Motown.”
The following year, during the NFC Championship against the Arizona Cardinals, Rodgers completed another 60-yard pass to Jeff Janis, which tied the score at 20 points and sent the game to overtime. Although the Packers fell short in the playoff match but there was no doubt that Rodgers’ ability to create magic on the game’s final game.
How Defenses React to Hail Mary Plays
Hail Mary games frequently can result in jumping balls in the final zone, where defensive backs are more numerous than receivers. When the ball is thrown everyone jumps to try to become the first one to get it. If the receivers are in a crowded field, they’ll typically attempt to push or kick the ball so that it can arc more high in the air and gives them time to catch it.
In the meantime, defensive backs are aware to kick balls out of into the air after the Hail Mary pass. Certain coaches will advise defenders not to react to a Hail Mary in the goal line in order to avoid blocking the ball. The quicker the defense can make the play stop more quickly, the quicker they can be certain of winning.
Conclusion: What is a Hail Mary Pass in Football?
When the game is in the balance with the game at stake, the Hail Mary pass is a long throw towards the goal line, resulting in the form of a leap ball or alley-oop. It’s typically one of the last plays of the game in the hope of trying to and win the game or take the game into overtime. If it’s successful, a Hail Mary game has the chance to be remembered in the record books for being one of the best passes of the career of a quarterback and that is the reason they have an extensive tradition behind them.