He said there was nervousness / tension didn't he? 

Yes ... I would prefer that too. Everything else is a "Scientific Horlicks" & so open to interpretation.

Well it's been this way for a century. I think a lot of passes travel forward relative to the ground but it's only the ones close to the limit that look suss. I agree with Hull FC pass looked outrageous but it was a long pass delivered at pace. The camera shows the ball did leave the passer backwards/flat. 

I trust the physics but out of interest was your 18mph an example or did sky say that, of the latter, I'm actually suitably impressed by the analysis.

So a flat ball at 0mph travelling backwards will travel at 18mph forward assuming the player is at that speed at the time of passing (ignoring wind resistant etc).


Forgive me, I still reserve the right to shout "FORWARD" in the ground as the pre match Stella overrules my inner Einstein 

The sky commentators were bending over backwards to justify the pass & Dave Woods was creaming himself when Hull made headway.

Same here ... it was a MILE Forward just look at the cut lines of the grass.