I was beside myself when the Rams declined the penalty and the Bucs were then granted the completion, I thought for sure that should be a dead ball from the original LOS. But alas. here is the official Rule on this. This is a rule that should be changed. Punishment should be like intentional grounding 5 yard penalty and a loss of down.
Item 1: Illegal Passes. Any other forward pass by either team is illegal and is a foul by the passing team,
including:
(a) A forward pass thrown when the passer is beyond the line of scrimmage.
Note: It is a forward pass from beyond the line of scrimmage if the passer’s entire body and the ball are beyond
the line of scrimmage when the ball is released, whether the passer is airborne or touching the ground. The
penalty for a forward pass thrown from beyond the line is enforced from the spot where the ball is
released.
(b) A second forward pass thrown from behind the line of scrimmage.
(c) A forward pass thrown after the ball has crossed the line of scrimmage and has returned behind it.
(d) A forward pass thrown after there has been a change of possession.
Item 2: Intercepted Illegal Pass. If an illegal pass is caught or intercepted, the ball may be advanced and
the penalty declined.
