Roughness call in NFL
 

When a ball carrier is on the ground but not touched in the NFL, can a defender flat out deck him? I recall seeing a game where unnecessary roughness was called for this, because the defender just had to touch him. This caused some discussion at the time, because technically the player was still live (and not wearing a dress). Is there a rule about that?

Does it matter if the ball carrier just fell down or if he gives himself up and goes to the ground on purpose?

There is a rule about that.

Rule 234 Article 23 Section 4-h(ii)-3 says that if a player is not wearing a dress and the ball is still live, then he can not be flat out decked.

Who knew?

Oh, OK, so now it's time to take shots at my informal, non-literal football terminology?
:D

I work semi-pro ball, and have an official NFL rule book from an NFL official I know. A couple of things about the NFL rules.

1. ANY player, not just the QB, can give himself up and be downed by purposefully sliding. NFL rule 7-4-1-c states "the ball is dead and the down is ended whenever a runner declares himself down by sliding feet first on the ground. The ball is dead at the spot of the ball at the instant the runner first touches the ground.

2. Rule 12-2-8 on UR states that is is UR to "running or diving into, or throwing the body against or on a carrier who falls or slips to the ground untouched and makes no attempt to advance, before or after the ball is dead."