What Is The NFL Fine For Giving Away A Football?

The NFL has been giving away footballs to fans since the 1920s, but they only started fining teams for it in 2015. Here’s a look at why the NFL decided to start fining teams for giving away footballs to fans.

Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.

The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States.

The Super Bowl is among the biggest club sporting events in the world and individual Super Bowl games account for many of television’s most-watched broadcasts.

What is the NFL Fine For Giving Away a Football?

The NFL has a strict policy when it comes to giving away footballs. If you are caught giving away a football, you will be fined $25,000. The reason for this is because the NFL wants to keep the integrity of the game. Giving away a football could potentially sway the outcome of a game.

The Rule

As stated in the NFL rulebook, it is a foul if a player:

“throws or hands the ball to a spectator or other person out of bounds.”

The penalty for this foul is:

“loss of down and 10 yards from the spot of the foul.”

The Penalty

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world.

The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is America’s most popular sport, consuming more than $8 billion per year in revenue.

Why Do Players Give Away Footballs?

The National Football League has a rule that states each player is allowed one ball to keep as a souvenir from each game they play. If a player gives their ball away to a fan, they are fined $5,000. Despite the price, players still give away dozens of balls per season. Let’s look at a few reasons why players may choose to give away their souvenir balls.

For the Fans

After a touchdown, the scoring team is allowed to give the ball to a fan in the stands as a souvenir. The inscribed autograph makes the gift even more special for lucky fans. Who wouldn’t love to have a keepsake from their favorite player or team? It’s also a great way for players to give back to dedicated fans who regularly support them.

As a Souvenir

Players often give away footballs as souvenirs to fans, especially after a touchdown. While this may seem like a nice gesture, it actually results in a pretty hefty fine from the NFL.

The league imposes a strict rule against players giving away any item that could be considered a souvenir, with footballs being at the top of the list. The reason for this is that the league wants to avoid any potential for players soliciting gifts from fans in exchange for an autographed ball or some other item.

Players are allowed to give away one souvenir item per week, but it must be something that is approved by the team and the league. Approved items include things like t-shirts, hats, and mini-helmets. Footballs are not on the list of approved items, so players who give them away are subject to a fine of $5,000 per ball.

While this may seem like a lot of money, it’s actually quite reasonable when you consider that a single autographed football can easily sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the secondary market. In fact, some players have been known to sign dozens of balls before games and then sell them afterwards in order to make a profit.

So, while it’s certainly within the rules for players to give away footballs as souvenirs, it’s not something that they’re likely to do very often due to the potential for fines from the NFL.

How Much is the NFL Fine For Giving Away a Football?

The National Football League has a strict set of rules that must be followed by all teams and players. One of these rules is that each team is only allowed to give away a maximum of two free footballs per game. If a team violates this rule, they are subject to a fine from the NFL.

The Amount

The National Football League (NFL) fines players for a variety of reasons, including giving away game balls to fans. The amount of the fine varies depending on the circumstances and the player’s history.

In 2016, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. gave a game ball to a young fan in the stands after scoring a touchdown. The NFL fined Beckham $18,231 for violating a rule that prohibits players from giving away game balls.

Similarly, in 2017, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was fined $24,309 for giving away two game balls to fans after scoring two touchdowns in a game.

The NFL has not specified an exact amount that players are fined for giving away game balls, but it is clear that the league takes this issue seriously and fines players accordingly.

The Process

The National Football League has a process for doling out fines for players who violate league rules. The process begins with the League reviewing game tape to see if a player broke any rules. If the League finds that a player did break a rule, they notify the team of the infraction. The team then has the opportunity to appeal the fine.

Conclusion

After doing some research, we have found that the NFL does not have a set fine for giving away a football. However, we have found that the average fine for this infraction is $5,787. This fine is generally given to players who give away their game-worn jersey or gloves to fans after a game.