Meaning & use
forward progress in football
Last updated
Meanings
phraseuncountableAmericansport
In American football, the rule that a play ends when a player carrying the ball is stopped from moving toward the opponent's goal.
Grammar: Used as a fixed phrase, usually after the verb stop or the noun rule: the ball is spotted where forward progress ends.
Patterns
- stop someone's forward progress
- forward progress is stopped
- the spot of forward progress
The referee blew the whistle because the runner's forward progress had been stopped.
Once forward progress is stopped, the ball is placed at that spot.
The defense celebrated, but the play ended on forward progress, not a fumble.
phraseuncountable
General movement toward a goal or improvement, used outside sports.
Grammar: Often used in business or personal contexts: make forward progress on a project.
Patterns
- make forward progress
- forward progress on something
- slow forward progress
The team made little forward progress on the new design this week.
After months of talks, both sides finally saw some forward progress.
Bad weather slowed our forward progress along the trail.
Common combinations
- stop forward progress
- The defender stopped the runner's forward progress at the line.
- forward progress is stopped
- When forward progress is stopped, the play is over.
- make forward progress
- We need to make forward progress on this report by Friday.
- spot of forward progress
- The official marked the spot of forward progress with the ball.
Synonyms and how they differ
- advance
- Advance is a general verb or noun for moving ahead; forward progress is the fixed football phrase for the rule that ends a play.
- gain
- Gain means yards or advantage won; forward progress focuses on the moment the ball carrier is stopped.
Opposites
Commonly confused: forward progress in football or first down?
forward progress in football vs first down
A first down is the result of gaining enough yards; forward progress is the rule that decides where the ball is placed when a play ends.
Practice
In American football, when is forward progress considered stopped?
Choose one answer.
Forward progress ends when the ball carrier is stopped from moving toward the opponent's goal. A thrown pass or a penalty flag does not by itself define forward progress.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “forward progress in football”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.