What it is

A lateral is a pass that travels sideways or backward, not toward the opponent’s end line. It is also called a backward pass.

In a game

Any player can throw laterals at any point, even beyond the line of scrimmage. If a lateral is dropped, it is a live ball that either team can recover, like a fumble.

More detail

Teams use laterals on desperate plays at the end of a game, where a series of laterals tries to keep the play alive. It is risky, because a dropped lateral can turn into a turnover and even a score for the defense.