Whats the difference ??

[Scottishbengal]

What is the difference between "intentional grounding" (throwing the ball away into a vicinity where there is no receiver) and spiking the ball to stop the clock ???

[Sea Ray]

What is the difference between "intentional grounding" (throwing the ball away into a vicinity where there is no receiver) and spiking the ball to stop the clock ???

Spiking the ball is specifically mentioned in the rulebook as a legal way to stop the clock. If it's done to avoid a sack, that's different

[derekshank]

Did you see Caleb Hanie get the intentional grounding penalty?

You can do it if your intent is to stop the clock immediately after the snap. The moment you drop back to throw, the "spiking" option is gone.

Here are how the rules read:

Section 2 Intentional Grounding

DEFINITION

Article 1 Definition. It is a foul for intentional grounding if a passer, facing an imminent loss of yardage because of pressure from the defense, throws a forward pass without a realistic chance of completion. A realistic chance of completion is defined as a pass that lands in the direction and the vicinity of an originally eligible receiver.

Spiking

Stopping Clock: A player under center is permitted to stop the game clock legally to save time if, immediately upon receiving the snap, he begins a continuous throwing motion and throws the ball directly into the ground.

Delayed Spike: A passer, after delaying his passing action for strategic purposes, is prohibited from throwing the ball to the ground in front of him, even though he is under no pressure from defensive rusher(s).

[Scottishbengal]

Cheers guys

[BengalByTheBay]

Did you see Caleb Hanie get the intentional grounding penalty?

I loved that "highlight". When I dream about having been a professional football player I'm always evading tackles to throw the perfect TD spiral. That said, if I ever had been an NFL QB, I'm 99% sure that I would have made that exact same Caleb Hanie play and everybody I knew or ever met would remind me of it.