New Prep Rule Will Allow Qbs To Spike Ball

High school quarterbacks will be allowed to intentionally ground the ball to stop the clock in one of a series of rules changes approved for prep football next fall.

The change will allow a quarterback to intentionally throw the ball forward to the ground as long as it is thrown immediately after receiving a direct hand-to-hand snap.

The rule is one of 16 passed by the National Federation Football Rules Committee at its Jan. 7-9 meeting in Albuquerque, N.M., and is similar to one already in effect at the college and professional levels for several years.

“Since quarterbacks will be able to spike the ball legally late in games to conserve time, it takes pressure off the officials to make a difficult judgment call when quarterbacks are trying to legally stop the clock,” said Dick Schindler, assistant director of the Kansas City-based National Federation of State High School Associations and editor of high school football rules.