NFL rules

Are you referring to the Giants game yesterday?

As long as the ball doesn't go forward past the line if scrimage the placeholder can pick the ball up (converting the kicking play to a fake kick..) and spike the ball which would stop the clock. If teh botched snap goes forward of the line of scrimage then the ball can be run but not passed (and a "spike" is a pass play..) but a running play doesn't stop the clock.

In most cases there would be no advantage to doing this but in that particular game they were kicking on 3rd down so they could have done it and provided there was still at least 1 second on the clock, they could have setup in kicking formation as 4th down and kicked again.

Somebody on another forum claimed that that wasn't allowed according to NFL rules. I didn't understand why for the reason you explained, that it could be a 'fake' kick. Thanks fishin. c.i.

lol Well, I guess I'm going to have to retract my earlier statement. The NFL has put out a statement that the ball can only be spiked if the snap is directly from under the center. It can't be spiked if the QB gets the ball on a "long snap".

http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/6107396

I don't know where that is in the rulebook. The only version I have is a few years old and they don't give the rule number in the statement.

Sorry!

fishin, No need to be sorry. Thanks for that link; it explains everything. Even the commentators had it wrong, so I don't feel so bad. c.i.