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{{Short description|Long pass play in American football usually made in desperation}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}
[[File:Staubach cowboys qb.jpg|thumb|right|[[Roger Staubach]], the thrower of the game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver [[Drew Pearson (American football)|Drew Pearson]] during an [[NFL]] playoff game between the [[Dallas Cowboys]] and the [[Minnesota Vikings]] on December 28, 1975]]
A '''Hail Mary pass''' is a very long [[forward pass]] in [[American football]], typically made in desperation, with a very small chance of achieving a [[completion (American football)|completion]]. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes reference to the [[Catholic]] "[[Hail Mary]]" prayer for strength and help.<ref name =Ashwill/>

The expression goes back at least to the 1930s, when it was used publicly by [[Elmer Layden]] and [[Jim Crowley]], two former members of the [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame Fighting Irish]]'s [[Four Horsemen (football)|Four Horsemen]]. Originally meaning any sort of desperation play, a Hail Mary pass gradually came to denote a long, low-probability pass, typically of the "[[Alley-oop (American football)|alley-oop]]" variety, attempted at the end of a half when a team is too far from the end zone to execute a more conventional play, implying that it would take a miracle for the play to succeed. For more than 40 years, use of the term was largely confined to Notre Dame and other Catholic universities.<ref name="Ashwill">{{cite web |last = Ashwill |first = Gary |url = http://agatetype.typepad.com/agate_type/2010/10/hail-mary.html |title = Hail Mary |website = Agate Type |date = October 29, 2010 |access-date = April 7, 2012 }}</ref>

The term became widespread after an [[National Football League|NFL]] playoff game between the [[Dallas Cowboys]] and the [[Minnesota Vikings]] on December 28, 1975 (see [[Cowboys–Vikings rivalry]]), when Cowboys quarterback [[Roger Staubach]] (a devout Catholic) said about his game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver [[Drew Pearson (American football)|Drew Pearson]], "I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary."<ref name="profootballhof1">{{cite web |title=Chat Transcript With Roger Staubach |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/chat-transcript-with-roger-staubach/ |website=profootballhof.com |publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame |access-date=4 December 2019 |date=8 December 2000}}</ref>

== Origins ==
[[File:University of Notre Dame's Hesburgh Library.JPG|thumb|The [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]-inspired name of the play derives from its early use at the [[University of Notre Dame]] and its frequent fusion of religious and football imagery (such as in [[Word of Life (mural)|Touchdown Jesus]], pictured above)]]
Crowley often told the story of a game between [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] and [[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football|Georgia Tech]] on October 28, 1922, in which the Fighting Irish players said [[Hail Mary]] prayers together before scoring each of the touchdowns, before winning the game 13–3. According to Crowley, it was one of the team's linemen, [[Noble Kizer]] (a [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]]), who suggested praying before the first touchdown, which occurred on a fourth and goal play at the Georgia Tech 6-yard line during the second quarter. Quarterback [[Harry Stuhldreher]], another of the Horsemen, threw a quick pass over the middle to [[Paul Castner]] for the score. The ritual was repeated before a third and goal play, again at Georgia Tech's 6-yard line, in the fourth quarter. This time Stuhldreher ran for a touchdown, which sealed the win for Notre Dame. After the game, Kizer exclaimed to Crowley, "Say, that Hail Mary is the best play we've got." Crowley related this story many times in public speeches beginning in the 1930s.<ref name="Ashwill" />

On November 2, 1935, with 32 seconds left in the so-called "[[Game of the Century (college football)|Game of the Century]]" between [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State]] and Notre Dame, Irish halfback [[William Shakespeare (American football)|Bill Shakespeare]] found receiver [[Wayne Millner]] for a 19-yard, game-winning touchdown. Notre Dame head coach [[Elmer Layden]], who had played in the 1922 Georgia Tech game, afterwards called it a "Hail Mary" play.<ref name="Ashwill" />

An early appearance of the term was in an [[Associated Press]] story about the upcoming 1941 [[Orange Bowl]] between the [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State Bulldogs]] and the [[Georgetown Hoyas football|Georgetown Hoyas]]. The piece appeared in several newspapers including the December 31, 1940, ''[[Daytona Beach Morning Journal]]'' under the headline, "Orange Bowl: [Georgetown] Hoyas Put Faith in 'Hail Mary' Pass". As the article explained, "A 'hail Mary' pass, in the talk of the Washington eleven, is one that is thrown with a prayer because the odds against completion are big." During an [[NBC]] broadcast in 1963, Staubach, then a [[Navy Midshipmen football|Navy]] quarterback, described a pass play during his team's victory over [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]] that year as a "Hail Mary play". He scrambled to escape a pass rush, nearly getting sacked 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage before completing a desperation pass for a one-yard gain.<ref name="Ashwill" />

== Examples ==
{{See also|List of Hail Mary passes}}

Arguably the most memorable and replayed Hail Mary [[walk-off touchdown]] pass came on November 23, 1984, in a game now known as "[[Hail Flutie]]".<ref name="Memorable Hail Mary passes">{{cite web |url = http://wkdzsports.typepad.com/sportsbytes/2008/09/the-10-best-col.html |title = The 10 Best College Football Hail Mary passes of the past 30 years |work = Scott Brown's Sportsbytes |first = Scott |last = Brown |date = September 23, 2008 |access-date = November 27, 2013 }}</ref> [[Boston College Eagles|Boston College]] was trailing [[Miami Hurricanes|Miami (FL)]] 45–41 with six seconds left, when their quarterback [[Doug Flutie]] threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to [[Gerard Phelan]], succeeding primarily because Miami's secondary stood on the [[goal line (American football)|goal line]] to keep the receivers in front of them without covering a [[post (route)|post route]] behind them.

Miami's defense was based on the assumption that the five-foot-nine-inch Flutie could not throw the ball as far as the end zone: instead, Flutie hit Phelan in stride against a flatfooted defense a [[yard]] deep in the end zone as time expired.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3ykWbu2Gl0 |title = Flutie's Miracle in Miami |via = YouTube |date = November 17, 2006 |access-date = March 12, 2010 }}</ref> To commemorate the play, a statue of Flutie in his Hail Mary passing pose was unveiled outside Alumni Stadium at Boston College on November 7, 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://newspapers.bc.edu/cgi-bin/bostonsh?a=d&d=bcheights20081110.2.6# |title = The Heights 10 November 2008 — Boston College |work = bc.edu }}</ref>

Other noteworthy examples include:
* December 19, 1980: Known as "The Miracle Bowl", [[BYU Cougars football|Brigham Young University]] (BYU) quarterback [[Jim McMahon]] threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to tight end [[Clay Brown (American football)|Clay Brown]] to defeat [[SMU Mustangs football|Southern Methodist University]] in the [[1980 Holiday Bowl]] 46–45, which completed Brigham Young's comeback from a 45–25 deficit with four minutes remaining.<ref name="Miracle Bowl 1980">{{cite web |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-01-13-sp-27716-story.html |title = It Was a Super Holiday Bowl |work = Los Angeles Times |date = January 13, 1986 |access-date = November 27, 2013 }}</ref>
* November 20, 1983: In a Week 12 matchup featuring the [[San Francisco 49ers]] vs the [[Atlanta Falcons]], Falcon's quarterback [[Steve Bartkowski|Steve Bartowski]] threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to [[Billy "White Shoes" Johnson]] with no time left on the clock to win, 28–24. Johnson caught the ball at the six yard line, ran to his right and was tackled into the endzone by three 49er defenders.
* September 24, 1994: Known as the "[[Miracle at Michigan]]", [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado]] quarterback [[Kordell Stewart]] threw a 64-yard [[walk-off touchdown]] pass to wide receiver [[Michael Westbrook]] to beat [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]] 27–26. Stewart's pass had traveled 73 yards in the air from the Colorado 26 to the opposite 1-yard line, was tipped by Blake Anderson, then caught by Westbrook four yards deep in the end zone.<ref name="Kordell Stewart Hail Mary">{{cite web |url = https://www.espn.com/classic/s/moment010924-kordell-hailmary.html |title = Kordell's Hail Mary a "Miracle in Michigan" |publisher = ESPN |first = Larry |last = Schwartz |date = November 19, 2003 |access-date = November 26, 2013 }}</ref>
* October 31, 1999: The [[Cleveland Browns]]' first win after returning as an expansion team came on a Hail Mary [[walk-off touchdown]] against the [[New Orleans Saints]], when Browns quarterback [[Tim Couch]] avoided the Saints pass rush and launched a 56-yard pass that was tipped up in the air and caught by receiver [[Kevin Johnson (wide receiver)|Kevin Johnson]] near the pylon for a 21–16 Browns victory.
* November 9, 2002: Known as the "[[Bluegrass Miracle]]", [[LSU Tigers football|Louisiana State University]] quarterback [[Marcus Randall]] threw a 74-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver [[Devery Henderson]] in the game to defeat [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]] 33–30.<ref name="Marcus Randall Hail Mary">{{cite web |url = http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2012/11/remembering_lsus_bluegrass_mir.html |title = Remembering LSU's Bluegrass Miracle on the 10th anniversary |work = The Times-Picayune |location = New Orleans |first = Jim |last = Kleinpeter |date = November 9, 2012 |access-date = November 26, 2013 }}</ref>
* December 8, 2002: Three years after his first Hail Mary, [[Tim Couch]] won another game with a game-ender against the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]]. Couch launched a 50-yard Hail Mary that was caught by [[Quincy Morgan]], and the ensuing extra point gave the Browns a 21–20 win. Although he remains a hotly debated player - due to being picked #1 overall in the [[1999 NFL draft]] and his injury-plagued career - Tim Couch remains the only NFL player to win two games on game-ending Hail Marys.
* October 22, 2011: Known as "Rocket", [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State]] quarterback [[Kirk Cousins]] threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver [[Keith Nichol]] to beat [[Wisconsin Badgers football|Wisconsin]] 37–31.<ref name="Kirk Cousins Hail Mary">{{cite magazine |url = http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/10/23/spartans.badgers/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111026013300/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/10/23/spartans.badgers/ |url-status = dead |archive-date = October 26, 2011 |title = Miracle 'Rocket' boosts Spartans to improbable victory over Badgers |magazine = Sports Illustrated |first = Andy |last = Staples |date = October 23, 2011 |access-date = November 26, 2013 }}</ref>
* November 16, 2013: Known as the "[[Prayer at Jordan-Hare]]", [[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn]] quarterback [[Nick Marshall]] threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ricardo Louis on fourth-and-18 with 36 seconds left to beat [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] 43–38.<ref name="Nick Marshall Hail Mary">{{cite web |url = http://www.waff.com/story/23990469/the-prayer-at-jordan-hare-auburn-wins-43-38 |title = The Prayer at Jordan-Hare! Auburn wins 43–38! |publisher = WAFF |first = Carl |last = Prather |date = November 16, 2013 |access-date = November 26, 2013 }}</ref>  Louis caught the ball after one Georgia defender tipped it away from another.
* November 10, 2013: With the [[Baltimore Ravens]] leading 17–10 on the last play of their game against the [[Cincinnati Bengals]], Bengals quarterback [[Andy Dalton]] launched a 51-yard Hail Mary to the end zone, where a Ravens player tipped the ball in the air directly to [[A. J. Green]] for a touchdown. Despite this game-tying score, the Ravens won the game in overtime, 20–17.
* September 5, 2015: Known as the "Miracle at Memorial", [[2015 BYU Cougars football team|BYU]] quarterback [[Tanner Mangum]] threw a desperate 42-yard pass to wide receiver Mitch Mathews as time expired to defeat [[2015 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]] 33–28 at [[Memorial Stadium (Lincoln)|Memorial Stadium]], and break a streak of 29 consecutive home opener victories for the [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Cornhuskers]]. Mangum, a freshman just two months removed from a [[Mormon missionary|mission]] for [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], was the backup to senior [[Taysom Hill]], who had left the game earlier with a season-ending [[Lisfranc injury]], and was playing in his first organized football game in nearly four years.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.ksl.com/?sid=36417100&nid=272 |title = 'Houk's Hug' adds to BYU's legend of 'Miracle at Memorial' |publisher = KSL }}</ref>
* December 3, 2015: Known as the "[[Miracle in Motown]]", a 15-yard defensive facemask penalty on the [[Detroit Lions]] as time expired gave the [[Green Bay Packers]], who had been trailing the entire game, an additional untimed down. Green Bay quarterback [[Aaron Rodgers]] threw a 61-yard touchdown pass which left his hand at Green Bay's 35-yard line and was caught four yards into the end zone by tight end [[Richard Rodgers (tight end)|Richard Rodgers]] to give the Packers a 27–23 win.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.sbnation.com/2015/12/4/9848468/lions-packers-hail-mary-you-gotta-fire-someone |title = This is how the Lions handed the Packers a game-winning Hail Mary |first = Brian |last = Floyd |work = SB Nation |date = December 4, 2015 |access-date = December 12, 2015 }}</ref> The total distance of 69 yards is the longest Hail Mary pass in NFL history.
* [[Hail Larry|January 16, 2016]]: In the postseason after the [[Miracle in Motown]], Aaron Rodgers completed a second Hail Mary pass: faced with a 4th and 20 on his own 4-yard line and a 20–13 deficit against the [[Arizona Cardinals]] in the final minute of the game, Rodgers threw a 60-yard completion to [[Jeff Janis]]. On the final play of regulation, he completed a 41-yard touchdown pass to Janis, making Green Bay the first postseason team ever to score a game-tying touchdown on the final play of the 4th quarter. Despite this, Arizona won the game in overtime largely through the efforts of [[Larry Fitzgerald]], who went all the way to the Green Bay 5-yard line on a short pass he caught while wide open before scoring two plays afterwards.<ref name="Around the NFL">{{cite web |url = https://www.nfl.com/news/cardinals-survive-packers-hail-mary-in-wild-ot-win-0ap3000000623980 |title = Cardinals survive Packers' Hail Mary in wild OT win |first = Connor |last = Orr |date = January 16, 2016 |publisher = National Football League |access-date = January 23, 2018 }}</ref>
* September 10, 2016: After [[2016 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team|Oklahoma State football]] quarterback [[Mason Rudolph (American football)|Mason Rudolph]] threw the ball up into the air as time expired, it was ruled intentional grounding: under college football rules, the game should have ended and Oklahoma State should have defeated [[2016 Central Michigan Chippewas football team|Central Michigan]] 27–24. However, both on-field officials (from Central Michigan's home of the [[Mid-American Conference]]) and replay officials (from Oklahoma State's home of the [[Big 12 Conference]]) missed the call and gave Central Michigan an [[Untimed play|untimed down]]. CMU quarterback [[Cooper Rush]] threw a 49-yard Hail Mary to receiver Jesse Kroll, who then lateraled to Malik Fountain, who ran it into the end zone to win the game 30–27.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2016/09/10/central-michigan-oklahoma-state-hail-mary-hook-ladder/90192376/ |title = Central Michigan stuns No. 17 Oklahoma State on controversial Hail Mary |date = September 10, 2016 |work = USA Today |access-date = April 21, 2018 }}</ref>
* October 1, 2016: After a 47-yard touchdown pass with ten seconds remaining on the clock, a [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] player took off his helmet during the celebration, resulting in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The kickoff was returned to the Georgia 43-yard line: on the final play, [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]] QB [[Joshua Dobbs]] threw a game-winning touchdown, caught by [[Jauan Jennings]], as time expired to win 34–31.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=400869013 |title = Tennessee vs. Georgia – Game Recap |date = October 1, 2016  |publisher = ESPN |access-date = October 5, 2016 }}</ref>
* January 8, 2017: In a wildcard playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants, Aaron Rodgers completed a 42-yard pass to [[Randall Cobb (American football)|Randall Cobb]] over a crowd of players from both teams on the last play before halftime. This gave Green Bay a 14–6 halftime lead, and they went on to win 38–13.<ref>{{cite web |title = Aaron Rodgers throws Hail Mary to Randall Cobb vs. Giants |url = https://www.businessinsider.com/aaron-rodgers-hail-mary-vs-giants-2017-1 |website = Business Insider |access-date = July 30, 2019 }}</ref>
* September 16, 2017: In a key [[Southeastern Conference]] [[Florida–Tennessee football rivalry|matchup]] between the [[Florida Gators football|Florida Gators]] and the [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee Volunteers]], Florida quarterback [[Feleipe Franks]] completed a 63-yard pass to [[Tyrie Cleveland]] as time expired to give UF a 26–20 win.<ref>{{Cite news |url = http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/09/florida-football-tennessee-hail-mary-win-touchdown-pass-feleipe-franks-college-football |title = Florida beat Tennessee with the most ridiculous Hail Mary touchdown pass |date = September 16, 2017 |work = For The Win |access-date = September 17, 2017 |language = en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url = http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/news/florida-gators-vs-tennessee-football-scores-updates-highlights-jim-mcelwain-butch-jones-sec-east/bn23827wstms16fco482pzvrh |title = Florida vs. Tennessee: Gators win on incredible last-second Hail Mary |date = September 16, 2017 |work = Sporting News |access-date = September 17, 2017 }}</ref>
*November 15, 2020: In a week 10 game against the [[Buffalo Bills]], [[Kyler Murray]] completed [[Hail Murray|a 43-yard touchdown pass]] to receiver [[DeAndre Hopkins]] in the final seconds of the game. Hopkins caught the ball over three Bills defenders for a touchdown to win the game 32–30.<ref>{{cite news |title = Deshaun Watson on DeAndre Hopkins Hail Mary catch: "That's just Hop" |url = https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/11/18/deshaun-watson-on-deandre-hopkins-hail-mary-catch-thats-just-hop/}}</ref>
*September 17, 2022: During a ''[[College GameDay (football TV program)|College GameDay]]'' between [[2022 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team|Appalachian State]] and [[2022 Troy Trojans football team|Troy]], Appalachian State quarterback, [[Chase Brice]], threw a 63-yard pass as time expired to Christan Horn who caught the pass for a touchdown, allowing Appalachian State to win, 32–28.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Donnelly |first1=Patrick |title=WATCH: App State stuns Troy with Hail Mary on final play |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2022-09-17/watch-app-state-stuns-troy-hail-mary-final-play |website=[[NCAA]] |access-date=September 23, 2022 |date=September 17, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Jace |title=Appalachian State defeats Troy on wild tipped-ball Hail Mary as time expires |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sunbelt/2022/09/17/appalachian-state-hail-mary-troy/10415676002/ |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=September 22, 2022 |date=September 17, 2022}}</ref>
*September 17, 2023: In the dwindling seconds of a Week 2 matchup between the [[Washington Commanders]] and [[Denver Broncos]], Broncos quarterback [[Russell Wilson]] completed a 50-yard touchdown pass to receiver Brandon Johnson to bring the game within a conversion, 35–33. Despite the incredible catch, which came off of multiple Commanders players deflecting the ball, the Broncos failed to complete the subsequent two-point conversion.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwmMu2dZCnI |title = Brandon Johnson catches for a 50-yard Touchdown vs. Washington Commanders |date = September 17, 2023 |publisher = National Football League |access-date = October 14, 2023}}</ref>
*October 14, 2024: In a Week 6 Monday night game between the [[Buffalo Bills]] and [[New York Jets]], Aaron Rodgers threw a 52-yard deep pass to Allen Lazard into the end zone, crowded around the Bills defense on the last play before halftime. It was initially ruled as an incomplete pass, however, with the assistance of replay assist, the ruling was changed to a touchdown. The score after the PAT was 20-17 going into halftime. Despite this, Buffalo won the game 23–20.
*October 27, 2024: Known as the "[[Hail Maryland]]", [[Washington Commanders|Washington]] quarterback [[Jayden Daniels]] threw a deep middle pass for 52 yards to receiver [[Noah Brown (American football)|Noah Brown]] for a walk-off Commanders touchdown to beat [[Chicago Bears|Chicago]] 18–15. According to NextGen Stats, Daniels scrambled for 12.79 seconds to make the play possible, the longest since the statistic was begun in 2016. His pass of 64 yards in the air is the second-longest successful NFL Hail Mary behind Aaron Rodgers's 69-yarder in the 2015 "Miracle in Motown."

== Metaphorical usage in other fields ==
The term "Hail Mary" is sometimes used to refer to any last-ditch effort with little chance of success.

In military uses, General [[Norman Schwarzkopf]] described his strategy during the [[Persian Gulf War]] to bypass the bulk of Iraqi forces in Kuwait by attacking in a wide left sweep through their rear as a "Hail Mary" plan. This usage, however, did not refer to the plan's chances of success but to the movement of Coalition forces to the left side of the front lines prior to the attack, which reflected the formation for a Hail Mary pass in which all the offensive team's wide receivers line up on one side of the line of scrimmage.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-02-28-mn-2880-story.html Schwarzkopf's Strategy]</ref><ref>[https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/desert_sabre.htm Operation Desert Sabre]</ref>

Various legal actions [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|attempting to overturn]] [[Donald Trump]]'s defeat in the [[2020 U.S. presidential election]], in particular the ''[[Texas v. Pennsylvania]]'' Supreme Court lawsuit, were described as "Hail Marys".<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/09/trump-teams-latest-voter-fraud-allegation-utterly-ignores-history The Trump legal team's latest voter fraud Hail Mary], ''Washington Post'', November 9, 2020.</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/2020/12/09/944744105/trump-asks-supreme-court-to-let-him-join-widely-scorned-texas-election-lawsuit Trump Asks Supreme Court To Let Him Join Widely Scorned Texas Election Lawsuit], npr.org, December 9, 2020.</ref>

There are similar usages in other fields, such as a "Hail Mary shot" in photography where a photographer holds the view finder of an [[Single-lens reflex camera|SLR]] camera away from the eyes (so unable to compose the picture), usually high above the head, and takes a shot. This is often used in crowded situations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hail Mary – and Other Divine Photo Tricks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/essays/vanRiper/030620.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102173458/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/essays/vanRiper/030620.htm |archive-date=November 2, 2012 |access-date=March 12, 2010 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

In [[computer security]], a "Hail Mary attack" will throw every [[Exploit (computer security)|exploit]] it has against a system to see whether any of them work.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/how-to/hack-like-pro-metasploit-for-aspiring-hacker-part-4-armitage-0158945/ |title = Metasploit for the Aspiring Hacker, Part 4 |website = Armitage |date = December 13, 2014 |access-date = May 18, 2017 }}</ref>

When the [[Pennsylvania Republican Party]] sold its headquarters in [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]] to the [[Catholic Church]], this was described by ''[[The New York Times]]'' as "a real-life Hail Mary".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Epstein |first=Reid J. |date=2022-09-26 |title=Mastriano's Sputtering Campaign: No TV Ads, Tiny Crowds, Little Money |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/26/us/politics/doug-mastriano-campaign-pennsylvania.html |access-date=2022-09-26 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

After the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of Ukraine]] in February 2022, [[Pope Francis]]' attempts to stop the conflict by consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the [[Immaculate Heart of Mary]] was called the "Pope's Hail Mary pass".<ref>{{cite web |last=Mickens |first=Robert |date=March 19, 2022 |title=The pope's "Hail Mary" pass |url=https://international.la-croix.com/news/letter-from-rome/the-popes-hail-mary-pass/15818 |access-date=January 17, 2023 |website=[[La Croix (newspaper)|La Croix]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

At the end of the [[NASCAR Cup Series]]' [[2022 Xfinity 500]] at [[Martinsville Speedway]], [[Ross Chastain]]'s wall-ride move to get the positions he needed to clinch a spot in the Championship 4 was given the name "Hail Melon", combining the name of the football pass play with Chastain's association with watermelons.<ref>{{cite news|last=Al-Khateeb|first=Zac|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nascar/news/ross-chastain-move-nascar-rule-change-2023-season/e0vpvu1wur0dkfkjlcquvnee|title=Ross Chastain rule change, explained: Why NASCAR banned 'Hail Melon' wall move for 2023 season|newspaper=[[The Sporting News]]|date=February 19, 2023|access-date=August 2, 2023}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Lateral pass]], another football strategy that is similar in that it is generally only used in desperation by the losing team on the very last play
* [[Fail Mary]]
* [[Gambit]]
* [[List of Hail Mary passes in American football]]
* [[List of sports idioms]]
* [[1975–76 NFL playoffs]]
* [[Aaron Rodgers]]
* [[Lions–Packers rivalry]]
* [[Cowboys–Vikings rivalry]]
* [[Buzzer beater]], similar application in basketball
* [[Kicks after the siren in Australian rules football]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary|Hail Mary pass}}
* {{cite web |website = Trivia Today |url = http://triviatoday.fyi/quiz/trivia/answer-in-1975-cowboys-quarterback-roger-staubach-popularized-which-football-phrase/ |title = In 1975, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach popularized which football phrase? }}
* {{cite web |last = Welter |first = Ben |title = Dec. 29, 1975: Drew Pearson's 'Hail Mary' catch |work = Minneapolis Star Tribune |date = June 20, 2016 |url = http://www.startribune.com/blogs/81598612.html |access-date = January 14, 2010 }}
* {{cite web |title = The Famous Hail Mary Pass |website = Viking Update |date = July 20, 2001 |url = http://vikings.scout.com/2/11650.html |access-date = March 20, 2007 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070216071547/http://vikings.scout.com/2/11650.html |archive-date = February 16, 2007 }}
* {{cite news |title = Inside nuggets from the Hail Mary game |newspaper = [[The Dallas Morning News]] |url = http://www.cowboysplus.com/classic/webspecials/hailmary/1228hailmarynotebook.html |access-date = March 20, 2007 |url-status = usurped |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040903195346/http://www.cowboysplus.com/classic/webspecials/hailmary/1228hailmarynotebook.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = September 3, 2004 }}
* {{cite news |last = Call |first = Andy |title = Hesitation referee's worst decision |work = The Canton Repository |url = http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=17&ID=202145&r=10 |access-date = March 20, 2007 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070311143845/http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=17&ID=202145&r=10 |archive-date = March 11, 2007 }}
* {{cite web |title = Photo Gallery of Great Moments |website = Fantasy Football Bookmarks |url = http://www.ffbookmarks.com/photo_gallery_of_great_moments.htm#The_Hail_Mary |access-date = March 20, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070208193915/http://www.ffbookmarks.com/photo_gallery_of_great_moments.htm#The_Hail_Mary <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = February 8, 2007 }}
* {{cite news |last = Blair |first = Sam |title = Ironically, it happened to the Vikings |work = [[The Dallas Morning News]] |date = December 29, 1975 |url = http://www.cowboysplus.com/classic/webspecials/hailmary/1228blaircolumn.html |access-date = March 20, 2007 |url-status = usurped |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040903195529/http://www.cowboysplus.com/classic/webspecials/hailmary/1228blaircolumn.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = September 3, 2004 }}
* {{cite news |last = Blair |first = Sam |title = A pass' presence |work = [[The Dallas Morning News]] |date = December 28, 1995 |url = http://www.cowboysplus.com/classic/webspecials/hailmary/1228blairpiece.html |access-date = March 20, 2007 |url-status = usurped |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040903195244/http://www.cowboysplus.com/classic/webspecials/hailmary/1228blairpiece.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = September 3, 2004 }}
* {{cite news |last = Luska |first = Frank |title = 25 years later, answered prayer hails memories |work = [[The Dallas Morning News]] |date = December 29, 2000 |url = http://www.cowboysplus.com/classic/webspecials/hailmary/1228luksa.html |access-date = March 20, 2007 |url-status = usurped |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040903195354/http://www.cowboysplus.com/classic/webspecials/hailmary/1228luksa.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = September 3, 2004 }}

{{Gridiron football plays}}
{{Dallas Cowboys}}
{{Minnesota Vikings}}
{{NFL on CBS}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hail Mary, The}}
[[Category:American football plays]]
[[Category:Metaphors referring to sport]]
[[Category:Christianity and sports]]