Can An NFL Player Give Himself Up?

A look at whether or not an NFL player can give himself up during a play.

Introduction

In the National Football League (NFL), a player may “give himself up” by going to the ground and remaining on his knees, thereby ending the play. Once a player goes to the ground, he is not allowed to get back up and run or continue moving in any way. The purpose of this rule is to protect players from being unnecessarily injured by other players.

What is the rule?

In the NFL, like most levels of football, if a player goes out of bounds voluntarily he is considered down and the play is over. In other words, a player cannot run out of bounds and then get back inbounds to gain extra yards. There is one exception to this rule, however, and that is if a player goes out of bounds to avoid being tackled. In this case the player is not considered down and can come back into the field of play and continue running.

When did the rule change?

In 2012, the NFL changed the rule to state that a player is down when any part of his body other than his hands or feet touch the ground after he has given himself up by sliding feet-first on the ground. Before 2012, a player was only down if he slid feet-first AND gave himself up by holding one arm up in the air.

How do other countries handle this?

In the United States, an NFL player is not allowed to give himself up and must be tackled by an opposing player. However, in other countries such as Canada and Australia, an NFL player can give himself up.

What are the consequences of the rule change?

The rule change means that any NFL player who intentionally goes down to the ground when they don’t have the ball in their hands will be automatically penalized for a personal foul. This applies even if the player is not being tackled by an opponent.

How do coaches feel about the rule change?

Now that the new rule allowing NFL players to voluntarily give themselves up by sliding feet first is in effect, some coaches are wondered how they feel about it.

In the past, if a player slid feet first, he was considered down immediately and could not get back up and run. However, now that players can give themselves up by sliding feet first, coaches are wondering if this will change the game too much.

Some coaches believe that this new rule will allow for more exciting plays, as players will be able to get up and run after making a catch or getting tackled. Other coaches worry that this will lead to more injuries, as players will be more likely to get hit hard when they are not expecting it.

Either way, it seems like the new rule is here to stay and we will just have to wait and see how it affects the game.

How do players feel about the rule change?

Many players were vocal about the change, with some in favor and some against. Some felt that it would make the game safer, while others believed that it would take away from the physicality of the sport.

“I think it’s a good rule,” said Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier. “Guys were getting blown up because they didn’t know if they could give themselves up or not. So I think this will help out a lot.”

Not everyone was in favor of the change, however. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said that he wasn’t a fan, and that he thought the rule would make the game less exciting.

“I don’t like it,” McCoy said. “Football is a physical sport. That’s what we signed up for. I don’t think we should take away from that.”

What are the potential benefits of the rule change?

If an NFL player goes to the ground in any way while running with the ball, whether he was touched by a defender or not, he is considered down and the play is over. This rule has been in place for a long time, but there has been talk recently about changing it.

The idea is that if a player is close to the end zone and goes to the ground, instead of being considered down, he would be given the opportunity to get up and run into the end zone for a touchdown. This would add an element of excitement to the game and give players more of an opportunity to score.

There are some potential benefits of this rule change. It could lead to more exciting plays and more touchdowns, which would be good for fans. It could also give players more of an opportunity to show off their athleticism and make big plays.

However, there are also some potential downside of this rule change. It could lead to more injuries, as players would be more likely to get hit hard while they are down on the ground. It could also slow down the game, as players would take longer to get up after going to the ground.

Ultimately, whether or not this rule change is made will come down to whether or not NFL officials think it is in the best interest of the game. If they believe it will make the game more exciting and improve player safety, then it is likely that we will see this rule change in the near future.

What are the potential drawbacks of the rule change?

One potential drawback of the rule change is that it could lead to more injuries. If a player is trying to avoid being tackled, he may end up getting hit in a sensitive area, such as the head or knees. This could result in serious injuries that could sideline a player for weeks or even months.

Another potential drawback is that the rule change could lead to more turnovers. If a player is trying to avoid being tackled, he may end up fumbling the ball. This could give the other team good field position and potentially lead to points.

Finally, the rule change could make the game less exciting. Some fans enjoy seeing hard hits and big plays, and this rule change could take away from that.

Conclusion

In conclusion, NFL players can give themselves up in order to avoid being tackled and losing yardage. If they do so, they will not be penalized. This is a good way for players to avoid getting injured while still allowing their team to maintain possession of the ball.