Why Don't They Practice Laterals?

Ok, so I'm guessing most of you have seen this:



It's an incredible, improbable and unduplicatable (if that's a word) play... and yes it was probably only successful in part because the defense got gassed (gotta love Div. III) and basically gave up after a certain point.

Also, you be the judge but two of those laterals (esp. the 2nd to last one where the guy flips it over his shoulder) were extremely close to being illegal forward passes.

Still... the prevailing thought that I am left with: why don't more teams practice laterals.... Not just for the end of the game when u need a desperation score but during regular play. At a certain point about 1/3 of the way through that play I was distinctly reminded of soccer... because the Trinity players were just controlling the ball and looking for an open lane, passing back and forth and moving backwards if neccesary but keeping the play alive. Only at a few points in the play (when they got closer to the endzone) were they actually in danger of turning the ball over....

So what if you ran a similar play without needing to score a touchdown. Trinity could have picked up 30+ yards on several occasions in that play. Moreover, the more they lateraled the more effective fake laterals became.

So why don't more teams (NFL or College) work laterals into their strategies for moving the ball. After all what good does a teammate running behind the ball carrier in the open field do except in as far as he is a threat to recieve a lateral....

Now I know the answer to why more people don't lateral game-to-game. It's too risky, Right? I'm brought back to the 'SC/Texas Rose Bowl where Reggie Bush attempted an ill-advised lateral (that was actually a slightly forward pass) to his teammate while being tackled by 3 Longhorns. Texas ended up recovering the ball and now that play goes down as part of the reason the game slipped away from 'SC. And yet if that lateral is thrown right to Bush's teammate he would have scored easily and everyone would be praising Reggie for his genius split-second decision. More importantly tho, if players are expecting teammates to throw them laterals (unlike Trojan Brad Walker in this case) they'd be less likely to fumble laterals headed their way.

Also, you might be curious to know that because the Bush lateral should have been considered an "Illegal Forward Pass" (except that the officials in the replay booth were experience "equipment malfunction") the correct call on the field should have been a dead ball, and a penalty on the Trojans... allowing them to retain possession. One of several GREAT CALLS from the booth in that game. But I digress.

The point is that players should practice utilizing the lateral (not when their being tackled by three guys... Reggie) but when they're in the open field. Practicing and using such a rudimentary part of the game seems like a no-brainer to me. It would make players more aware of when they might make an easy big play by pitching the ball, make teammates more aware of helping the ball carrier even if they are trailing the play, and, most of all, make open field plays MUCH harder to defend if only due to the ever-present threat of laterals.

After all Vince Young lateraled on the touchdown play right after *cough* I mean before his knee touched the ground....

I'm not at all bitter by the way.

Anyway, I challenge big balls Pete to reverse USC's fortunes by requiring his players to attempt a lateral on every offensive play. No matter how dangerous.... Then when we score maybe he can tell his players to get a celebration penalty by having the whole team run onto the field too.