Talk:Spike (gridiron football)

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Spike (football)? —Wiki Wikardo 06:14, 10 May 2011 (UTC)

Something possibly not clear - spiking stops the clock so how can spiking result in running out the clock? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Robfwoods (talk • contribs) 01:14, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

Spiking presumably takes at least 1 second off the clock, so if you're cutting it very close near the end of 1st or 2nd half, the situation could arise where a spike could indeed take the remaining time off the clock. So a quarterback in that situation would need the presence of mind to run a regular play RIGHT THEN; that play would count as long as it started before time ran out. Notice the 2 Rose Bowl cases: In accordance with college rules, the clock stopped (with only 2 seconds left) while the sideline chains were being moved for 1st down, and 2 seconds turned out to be too short for a spike (the spike play counted, but there could be no next play because the clock ran out on the spike play). In each case, there was some signal from the referee (start the clock and/or ready to play) which probably took a second off the clock as well.

Why?
Could someone explain what advantage the team gains by this tactic? Grover cleveland (talk) 15:56, 23 July 2012 (UTC)


 * To answer the question: Presumably, the team employing the tactic is trailing and trying to score before the game ends. The incomplete pass will stop the clock, allowing them to regroup with some time conserved for another play. The lost down may be inconsequential if only a few plays are left, and a carefully-planned play is preferable to one called in haste.

The article should mention when the rule was changed to permit this. I think it was circa 1990. Prior to the rule change, teams used to use out-of-bounds passes to the sidelines to stop the clock, as spiking the ball would have resulted in a penalty for intentional grounding. WHPratt (talk) 19:37, 2 January 2013 (UTC)

To provide additional info, spiking is typically done when a team is out of time outs, hence needs some other way to stop the clock. Wschart (talk) 23:41, 23 September 2014 (UTC)


 * That's true, but occasionally they use the spike to conserve their last time out for a critical play. E.g., they may use a running play to move the ball to the center of the field and call the time out with a second to go for a field goal attempt. WHPratt (talk) 13:11, 24 September 2014 (UTC)

Russell Wilson in 2012 Rose Bowl
I'm just finding about this today, just after Russell Wilson was the starting quarterback in close loss by Seattle Seahawks (30-28 to Atlanta Falcons in NFC divisional playoff game). (By the way, he had the case where he was sacked on 3rd down near the end of 1st half yesterday when his team was out of timeouts, and time ran out before he could get another play off. Spiking would have been no good because it was 4th down.)  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.94.52.3 (talk) 02:12, 14 January 2013 (UTC)

if it is done with the quarterback under center
I give, what does "under center" mean? Those who know may want to edit the article to explain it to the rest of us. Butwhatdoiknow (talk) 00:12, 13 October 2014 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Reception (American football) which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 07:59, 9 July 2015 (UTC)

More than a play
The issue I have with this article is that it talks about spiking the ball as if that term is only used when the quarterback throws the ball into the ground to kill the play. But a spike is simply the act of intentionally throwing the ball into the ground. There's a long history of players spiking the ball in the end zone after scoring a touchdown. Players also used to spike the ball after a big play, to the point that it was officially declared to be delay of game. I think the article should not imply that this is only a "play" when in fact it can be done with a dead ball. Sm5574 (talk) 01:19, 16 June 2024 (UTC)