What is the grounding of a forward pass?

Answer 1

If the ball is passed and either missed by a player or not caught and lost to the ground, it is an incomplete pass; a down is lost and play begins from the last line of scrimmage pending penalties. If the ball is thrown at the ground deliberately to avoid a loss of yards or being sacked, it is an intentional grounding foul; the offense is penalised. If there is no risk to the QB, it is a spike; the play counts as an incomplete pass. Note: an intentional grounding foul cannot be called if the ball crosses the line of scrimmage or goes out of bounds, even if there was no realistic chance of a reception.