Intentional Grounding (football)

Intentional Grounding is a foul in football, committed when an offensive player, seeking to avoid being sacked by a defensive player, deliberately throws the ball into the ground. There is no penalty for grounding if the offensive player remains inside the pocket (between the Offensive Tackels) prior to throwing intentionally into the ground as long as the ball does not cross the line of scrimmage. It is also illegal to throw into the ground immediately after receiving the snap, unless the player is seeking to preserve time while facing imminent pressure of loss of down, as in the famous "fake spike" done by Dan Marino.