What makes a pass perfect?

When we’re young, we’re taught to always hit the receiver directly in the chest.

Yet passes in the NFL rarely actually end up at the receiver’s chest. Is that because the quarterback isn’t accurate enough to throw the ball in the right place?

Not exactly.

There’s no such thing as a generalized “perfect” pass. The best pass is thrown in given location, with a given velocity, and at a given time to maximize the odds of a positive result while minimizing the odds of a negative one.

Sometimes that means throwing the ball directly at the receiver. But more often than not, it doesn’t. The location and movement of the defenders (including the defensive backs, linebackers, and the arms of the defensive lineman) all need to play into the equation.

When we’re watching on TV, it might seem obvious that the ball should be thrown directly to the receiver. But really, there are often few options for how the ball can be thrown near the receiver, so the objective changes to how the quarterback can position the ball close enough that the receiver has a chance to make a play without having his head ripped off.

It’s like playing chess.

There’s no such thing as a generalized “perfect” or even “good” move. It all depends on the situation on the board.

-Brandon