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I do not agree with your take on IG at all!
Read the NFHS Football handbook.
From the 2009 -2010 NFHS Handbook
Intentionally lncomplete Forward Pass
A forward pass which is intentionally incomplete or thrown into an area not
occupied by an eligible offensive receiver, or to save loss of yardage or to conserve
time, is an illegal pass and a foul. The penalty is 5 yards and loss of down.
The only exception is if the ball is thrown forward to the ground immediately after
the player receives a direct hand-to-hand snap. This “spiking” may be done to
conserve time, but must be done during the first step backward and after he
receives a hand-to-hand snap from the snapper. The act is commonly known as
intentional grounding and occurs when a forward pass is purposely thrown to the
ground into an area not occupied by an eligible offensive receiver, or intentionally
thrown out of bounds to save loss of yardage, or to conserve time.
Officials must clearly understand the reasons for restrictions during this particular
type of illegal forward pass. Intentional grounding is a purposeful act during
which the passer deliberately throws a forward pass so that it becomes
incomplete for one or more reasons such as:
1. To prevent a loss of yardage when hopelessly trapped by the defense some
distance behind his line of scrimmage.
2. To avoid the risk of an interception.
When the defensive team forces a passer into a position from which he cannot
safely deliver the ball to an eligible teammate and he is unable to escape the
defensive confinement, the defensive team has accomplished its objective. If the
passer is permitted to intentionally incomplete a forward pass without penalty,
except for the immediate “spiking,” and thus avoid loss of yardage, the official by
his poor judgment or lack of it, has taken away an advantage which was fairly
earned.
When a passer appears to be hopelessly trapped, it is important that officials
anticipate the possibility of a foul. Guidelines which may assist the officials in
determining when a forward pass is intentionally incomplete include:
1. Is the passer making a bona fide attempt to complete a pass to an eligible
teammate?
2. Does the passer deliberately throw the ball to the ground or out of bounds
Part Five Officiating Page 61
or in a manner so that no one has an opportunity to catch it?
3. Are eligible offensive receivers in the area?
4. Is the passer attempting to save loss of yardage or to conserve time?
Good officials recognize that some passes are incomplete or do not arrive in the
immediate vicinity of the receiver because of a lack of skill on the part of the
passer, a broken pattern on the part of the intended receiver or because the
passer’s accuracy was affected by the actions of the defense. These officials can
also recognize an intentional and purposeful act and they can consistently and
judiciously administer the rules so that the team whose passer purposefully
incompletes a pass is penalized as required.
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