Tom Brady has spent two times on a game. And it (sort of) worked.

This is one of the first rules you learn when you are taken to the backyard and learn to play soccer:

You can only throw one forward pass per game.

On Monday night, Tom Brady tried to get away with breaking this rule. And in a way, it worked.

Entering the fourth quarter of the Tampa Bay game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Brady’s Buccaneers had a third and a 10 on their 34-yard line. Brady threw in the middle, but the ball was blocked at the line of scrimmage by linebacker Terrell Lewis.

A lot of good things have happened to Tom Brady in his life, and here is another one. The deflected bullet, which could have gone in almost any direction, came straight back to him. Brady reacted with lightning speed, snatched the starfruit in the air and… passed the ball again?

Yes, maybe because of a brain freeze, or maybe because he thought no one would notice, Brady attempted his second pass from the room. It’s a violation of the rules of the NFL, XFL, Canadian Football League and pretty much every type of organized football up to your cousin’s youth league.

Brady’s second pass was completed to Mike Evans, but officials weren’t impressed. The flags flew and Brady was called on a penalty.

But wait. Evans was brought back two meters from a first try. As the Buccaneers now face fourth and two, the Rams declined the penalty. The game, and the completed double pass, stood.

NFL driving charts are seldom interesting to read, but this one will be forever. Tucked away near the start of Q4, he crisply notes exactly what happened:

“T.Brady passes in the center to T.Brady to TB 25 for -9 yards. T.Brady passes through the center to M.Evans to TB 42 for 8 yards.

He goes on to note that “statistically, no execution for the first pass due to the denied penalty.” So Brady, at least, will be spared the negative yards on the catch, which would only have reduced his own passing total.

It wasn’t the first time since arriving in Tampa Bay this year that Brady, 43, appeared to be struggling with a fundamental rule of football. In October, he appeared to lose track of being awarded four tries per set. After failing to convert a fourth down against the Bears, he stayed on the pitch and raised four fingers like he thought he had another play.

The Buccaneers lost that game, and they also lost Monday night, 27-24. But at 7-4, they’re still in charge for a playoff berth.

If Tampa Bay makes the playoffs, Brady will have to remember that the rules of football apply there too.