Intentional Grounding Question

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

There is no one here who can tell you why the NFHS Football Rules Committee wrote the rule, 48 states then voted on and approved it as written. The NFL originated the rule and has the same requirement.

Probably you're referring to 8-3-1 note 3. However, although it appears to be there as an exception to 8-3-1 intentional grounding, it is not. Rather, it's an intended cross-reference (in NFL's unfortunately not inimitable way)that's actually a misplaced exception to 4-3-10 on timing. NFL long ago dropped (or maybe never adopted, I'm not sure) the general prohibition on grounding the ball to conserve time, but relatively recently put in this narrower prohibition. Their penalty is administered as a delay of game with a 10 sec. runoff, while NCAA's & Fed's is under intentional grounding. So the rules are superficially similar and in a sense one is a copy of the other, but they have different hx: NFL's is a relatively recent restriction, while NCAA's & Fed's are an even more recent exception to an old prohibition.

The rule is widely recognized in Fed to discriminate against teams that don't use a handed snap.