What is an illegal bat in the NFL?

Batting or punching a loose ball in the field of play toward the opponent's goal line, batting a grounded loose ball in any direction in either end zone, an offensive player batting a backward pass forward, or throwing forward a pass still being controlled before the catch is completed.

RULE DECODERSeptember 17, 20263 min read

An NFL Player Can Tip A Pass Anywhere. Punching A Loose Ball Forward Is 10 Yards.

A pass in flight can be batted in any direction by any eligible player. A loose ball cannot be batted toward the opponent's goal line, and no ball may be deliberately kicked.

Tipped passes are a normal part of a game. Batted loose balls are a foul. The difference sits in one section of the rulebook.

The exception that makes tipping legal

Rule 12, Section 5 carries an explicit exception: a forward pass in flight may be tipped, batted, or deflected in any direction by any eligible player at any time.

What counts as an illegal bat

01Any player bats or punches a loose ball in the field of play toward his opponent's goal line
02Any player bats or punches a loose ball that has touched the ground, in any direction, while it is in either end zone
03An offensive player bats a backward pass in flight toward his opponent's goal line
04A forward pass controlled by a player before he completes the catch is thrown forward - and the ball stays alive if a teammate catches it or it is intercepted

Kicking a loose ball

Article 2 is short: no player may deliberately kick a loose ball or a ball that is in a player's possession. And the ball is not dead when an illegally kicked ball is recovered, unless another rule prescribes otherwise.

The ball is not dead when an illegally kicked ball is recovered.

The penalty

Loss of 10 yards for illegal batting or kicking the ball. If the foul is by the offense before possession changes during a scrimmage down, it is loss of down and loss of 10 yards - except for a foul by the offense beyond the line of scrimmage during a scrimmage kick, in which case there is no loss of down.

Quick answers

Can an NFL player tip a pass in any direction?: Yes. A forward pass in flight may be tipped, batted, or deflected in any direction by any eligible player at any time.
What is an illegal bat in the NFL?: Batting or punching a loose ball in the field of play toward the opponent's goal line, batting a grounded loose ball in any direction in either end zone, an offensive player batting a backward pass forward, or throwing forward a pass still being controlled before the catch is completed.
Is the play over if someone illegally kicks the ball?: No. The rulebook says the ball is not dead when an illegally kicked ball is recovered, unless another rule prescribes otherwise.

Sources

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RULE DECODER

Players the offense must have on the line at the snap