I believe a player can give himself up. I think when it is done, it has to be VERY obvious what he is doing, like when a QB does it at the end of a game, when he drops to a knee. I think a player can do the same thing, regardless where he is on the field, but if it’s not very obvious, it won’t be called.
Ruled a fumble.
Was odd. Injured player. Could he have tossed the ball out of bounds?
Ray Lewis did it once, right?
Rule exists. For example. 50 seconds to go, player catches a pass for a first down and hits the deck. He can get up and flip the ball to the official even if he has not been touched. This allows the next play to set up without letting the defense wind the clock down by not touching the player for several seconds.
More common among French players.
An official shall declare dead ball and the down ended:
(a) when a runner is out of bounds or declares himself down by falling to the ground and makes no effort to advance.
Subject to some interpretation, obviously, but most officials would require that a player actively go to the ground in order to "declare" himself down. Falling down by accident or coming off a hit don't really cut it.
Dan Dierdorf: "often wrong, but never in doubt."
Only time I have heard of a football player giving himself up was for outstanding warrants.
The play is not over until the whistle blows.
It sure looks as if the Saints have given themselves up in that game.
Only if he was unconscious did he let go before the whistle.
Like Earl Campbell would ever give himself up.
(and this is from a Chiefs fan)
That sounds like a college rule, not NFL.
Are these still replacement refs?.....
The only times I have ever heard of NFL players giving themselves up were OJ and the guy driving him in the slow motion chase in the white SUV and those guys from Dallas who were wanted by the police.
I hear it happens in prison sometimes.
By a wide receiver or tight end after a pass completion, to kill the clock he slid to a stop like a QB without being touched.
The Texans were slapping at the ball once he stood up but the ref had blown the whistle before any Texan had toughed him.
IMO the player is not down until touched by the opposing team, so I don't know why the ref blew the whistle.