Ah, waterfield my friend, now you are getting sneaky.
In the hurricane scenario you describe, the QB is actually making a forward pass, even though the ball lands behind him. It's not a lateral.
Why?
Well, naturally, because the rules defining a "forward pass" and a "backward pass" are different.
(And this is part of my point-- IMHO the rules should be changed so they are more uniform).
According to the current rules governing a backward pass, all that matters are the markings on the field, i.e. (a) the point where the ball is released, and (b) the point where it is received.
However, for a forward pass, it gets trickier. As soon as the ball is released IN A FORWARD DIRECTION, it is immediately and forevermore defined as a forward pass, regardless of where it lands.
Here is the relevant section in the rule book:
ARTICLE 4. FORWARD PASS. It is a forward pass if:
(a) the ball initially moves forward (to a point nearer the opponent’s goal line) after leaving the passer’s hand(s)So give me hurricanes or tornadoes or monsters with 20 foot-long-arms, bring it on.... I can still tell ya how the 2017 NFL rules would handle those situations!
(Whether the rules are fair or not, or whether or not they make common sense, is a different matter....)
