Seahawks employ ‘Ghost Receiver’ strategy

Rarely used by a team in the National Football League, the Seattle Seahawks will employ the "Ghost Receiver" rule for the remainder of the season.

The strategy is normally used in sixth-grade sandlot baseball games when there aren’t enough players to run the bases and hit. However, the Seahawks will use it because injuries and roster cuts have completely depleted the team of viable pass catchers.

Under the rule, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck must throw a pass to a spot where a receiver would normally have been. The honor system plays a large function in the ghost receiver rule. Thus, if Hasselbeck throws a pass that he knows a receiver couldn't catch, he'll have to own up to it and call the pass incomplete.

"The rule worked really well when me and my brother Tim played in our parents’ back yard when I was 12 years old," Hasselbeck said. "I'm pretty excited to see how it works in our home opener against the 49ers on Sunday."

Receivers Deion Branch, Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson are all out with injuries. Burleson is gone for the year as is Ben Obomanu. Today, receiver Jordan Kent was released along with popular running back Justin Forsett. Receiver Courtney Taylor was available to play, but coach Mike Holmgren opted for the ghost receiver instead.

"We like Courtney, he works hard and he's a big, strong guy," Holmgren said. "But having hands made of Jello hurts him - just a little bit."