Intentional Grounding

I've been meaning to post this for a while but have been sidetracked by the situation our team has been facing off the field.

In any case what I'd like to know does this rule still even exist?

I've noticed many instances recently where the qb has been pressured and has blindly thrown it away to avoid a loss with no penalty called.

I'm not as up on this stuff as many of you guys, but did I miss something? Is this no longer a penalty?

As long as the ball passes the line of scrimmage I think it's no penalty, even if there's noone around.

Rule 6, Section 4, Article 7 – Intentional Grounding

[url=http://www.cfl.ca/uploads/assets/CFL/PDF_Docs/CFLRules_2010_ENG.pdf]http://www.cfl.ca/uploads/assets/CFL/PD ... 10_ENG.pdf[/url]
If a Team A passer deliberately, and in the official’s opinion for the purpose of avoiding loss of yardage, throws the ball behind the line of scrimmage to the ground or Out of Bounds or to an area in which there is not an eligible Team A receiver, the team shall be penalized. PENALTY: LD at point from which pass was thrown. If the pass was thrown from the Goal Area, a safety touch score shall be awarded to Team B, subject to the right of Team B to decline the score and accept the play as it terminated. NOTE: Team A shall not be penalized if the passer throws the ball across the line of scrimmage to an open area or Out of Bounds.
So if the ball crosses the line of scrimmage, there is no infraction. If it doesn't, it is at the discretion of the official whether there was a receiver anywhere near the throw.

From the CFL 2010 Rule Book:

Article 7 – Intentional Grounding If a Team A passer deliberately, and in the official’s opinion for the purpose of avoiding loss of yardage, throws the ball behind the line of scrimmage to the ground or Out of Bounds or to an area in which there is not an eligible Team A receiver, the team shall be penalized.
[url]http://www.cfl.ca/page/game_rule_rule1[/url]

Usually the QB is able to hurl the ball out of bound far enough up field to avoid the call. But I have seen it called a few times lately.

That's interesting that team B has the option to decline the safety touch and take the result of the play in the event intentional grounding occurs in the team A's endzone.

I wonder if this has happened in game? Its an interesting decision to be had... for example, a team is down by 5 points with limited time, let's say a minute left. On defence, they force an intentional grounding penalty on 3rd down from the opposition's endzone and can take;

  1. The safety, resulting in 2 points with a kick return and limited time to set up for the tying field goal, or..

  2. Decline the safety and take the 1st and goal to try for the win..

Thanks for the clarification.

Just curious but was this rule changed?

Unless my brain is turning to mush I seem to remember qb's throwing the ball out of bounds (across the line of scrimmage) and getting called.

It was changed three or four years ago to add the “not a penalty if it crosses the line of scrimmage”. It used to be there had to be a receiver in the vacinity, and deliberately throwing it out of bounds was a penalty. Unfortunately, there was too much “referee’s discretion” in the rule, so they changed it.

Thank you.