I have a question about an NFL rule

[Incognegro]

I've always wondered this and have always had responses of "I don't know". Maybe one of you guys know.<div>
</div><div>In the NFL, if a player is only down by contact, why is it when the quarterback goes for a kneel down the play is automatically dead without requiring defenders to have to at least touch them? The only logical thing I could come up with is a possible safety reason but they could easily call a qb getting hit when kneeling a personal foul.</div>

 

[drt7891]

For instance, in the high school rule book, a quarterback can take no more than one full step backwards and throw the ball at his feet to stop the clock. If that exception wasn't, there, that would surely be intentional grounding or throwing the ball with the intent of conserving time. However, they put that exception in the rulebook so the team has the option to stop the clock. <div>
</div><div>The NFL has several exceptions like that and I image the exception is something like: "The quarterback can take no more than one step and kneel to the ground to run the clock without having to be contacted by a defender." There is also the exception where the quarterback can slide and be downed to avoid contact. Like you said, probably safety reasons.</div>

 

[MSU CS 2004]

Rule 7, Section 4, Article 1: An official shall declare dead ball and the down ended:<div>
</div><div>(b) any time a quarterback immediately drops to his knee (or simulates dropping his knee) to the ground behind the line of scrimmage during the last two minutes of a half. The game clock will not stop during this action.</div><div>
</div><div>I do not have a more current rule book, but I seriously doubt that rule has changed at all.</div>

 

[Dawgzilla]

By taking a knee, the QB is essentially asking the ref to go ahead and call him down. Any player can do this, but with the QB the ref can go ahead and assume he wants to be called down.

The Buffalo QB got hit while he was down today, but the refs had not yet blown the whistle so they didn't call a penalty.