How does intentional grounding work

Rule 8 Section 2 Intentional Grounding. Intentional grounding should not be called if: the passer initiates his passing motion toward an eligible receiver and then is significantly affected by physical contact from a defensive player that causes the pass to land in an area that is not in the direction and vicinity of an eligible receiver; or the passer is out of the pocket, and his passing motion is significantly affected by physical contact from a defensive player that causes the ball to land short of the line of scrimmage.

Penalty: For intentional grounding : loss of down and 10 yards from the previous spot; or loss of down at the spot of the foul; or if the passer is in his end zone when the ball is thrown, it is a safety. Additional Rules. Rule 4 Section 6. Rule 16 Section 1 Article 4. Rule 6 Sections Rule 11 Sections Rule 11 Section 5.

Rule 8 Section 1. Rule 8 Section 7. Rule 8 Section 1 Article 6. Rule 8 Section 7 Article 3. Rule 7 Section 2 Article 1. So spiking is legal only if the snap was not fumbled, unlike the NFL. Yes, only one forward pass per play is permitted. Also, the ball must not have gone past the line of scrimmage at any point; in other words, it is illegal for a player to take the ball past the line, then lateral it backwards to another player who then throws a forward pass.

Analytics are not used enough in the NFL. The quarterback must be behind the line of scrimmage , and inside the ' tackle box.

This way, if the quarterback scrambles to either side, he can throw the ball away with no penalty. The second factor is where the ball goes. If the player has left the tackle box, and throws the ball away, it must still reach the line of scrimmage before going out of bounds.

Simply spiking it at the ground while running is a penalty. The third factor is "imminent pressure. This is commonly seen when a quarterback and his receiver are "not on the same page," e.

This is also why a spike to stop the clock is not considered grounding. If an eligible receiver is near the ball, it does not matter where the ball goes. As a result, a short screen pass could be attempted, and if it hits the ground, no penalty would be called as a receiver is nearby.

American Football Database Explore. Recent blog posts Forum. The first reason a quarterback would throw a ball in this way is to try and avoid a sack or tackle. Throwing the ball quickly is a way to avoid a sack. Receiving a sack can result in a loss of yards for the offense. Worse, if a quarterback is hit and drops or loses control of the ball, a sack can cause a fumble, which the defense can return for a touchdown.

If a quarterback is scrambling, they can throw the ball away without incurring a penalty. They may throw a ball out of bounds to either stop the clock, avoid a hit, or get a new down after a blitz. The most critical part of intentional grounding that makes it a penalty is the quarterback is still in the tackle box and is under pressure. The NFL rulebook stipulates that three key scenarios result in the intentional grounding penalty not being called.

Here are more details on each scenario. Quarterback flushed from the pocket : If the quarterback moves away from the pocket, he is permitted to attempt to make a pass. After leaving the pocket, the quarterback will often make a less-accurate throw that may end up out of bounds or far from any eligible receivers. In this case, the incomplete pass will be exempt from the intentional grounding rule.

Tackle or Physical Contact: If a defensive player hits the passer in a way that causes a wild or incomplete pass, the pass would be exempt from an intentional grounding penalty. If a play is intentional grounding and a pass is thrown is without a realistic chance of completion, there are a few different ways an official can penalize the offensive team.