A fumble in American football is when an offensive player such as the quarterback or a running back drops the ball while it is still in play. Fumbles usually occur during the snap, while running the ball, or in a failed attempt at a lateral pass. If the ball is fumbled the defensive team may recover the ball and even advance it to their goal. The same is true for the offense, but usually when the offense recovers the ball it simply tries to down it. This is not the same thing as when a forward pass is attempted and the intended receiver does not catch it. In this latter case, it is simply an incomplete pass. However, if the receiver were to catch the ball, but then drop it after maintaining control of the ball, that would be considered a fumble.