A lateral pass or lateral (technically a backward pass in American football and an onside pass in Canadian football) happens in gridiron football when the ball carrier delivers the football to a teammate parallel to or away from the opposing goal line. This is usually done as a last resort for the quarterback who does not want to be hit by the opposing team's defensive players. The name "lateral" comes from how it is executed; instead of throwing forward, like a normal pass, the ball carrier turns back toward his own end zone, thus "lateralizing" the ball. Lateral passes are useful ways for quarterbacks to avoid contact while keeping the ball. They can also be used as screen plays where the quarterback leads with the ball and allows his teammates to run free. Lateral passes are typically high-percentage throws because there is a good chance that the receiver will get at least one foot down inbounds before being tackled by a defender. In college football, lateral passes are often called "backward passes". In National Football League (NFL), they're known as "onside kicks". In the NFL, when a team believes that its quarterback will be sacked, the play caller will sometimes call for a lateral pass to keep the ball out of harm's way.