# Football question (let them score)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-question-let-them-score/607297
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [December 24, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-question-let-them-score/607297 "2011-12-24T17:49:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-question-let-them-score/607297/81 "2012-02-09T01:20:02Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#):
>
> Easterbrook says Bradshaw could have yelled “down” to end the play. That would be interesting to see some time.
>
> [Luck plays a bigger factor in Super Bowl, as in life, than we care to admit - ESPN](http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/story/_/id/7548066/luck-plays-bigger-factor-super-bowl-life-care-admit)
> (Scroll down to adventures in officiating)
Has any player taken advantage of this rule in the last 50 years?
There are probably other situations where it would come in handy, though a kneel-down or hook slide is usually sufficient to indicate that a runner is giving himself up. The latter probably would have worked best for Bradshaw if he had thought of it.
On the subject of palpably unfair acts, has one ever been called in the NFL? The [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palpably_unfair_act) cites [a 1971 issue of the _St. Joseph Gazette_](http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bwpdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P1oNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1021,754249&dq=palpably-unfair-act&hl=en) which states that the rule had never been used at that time. I can think of [one game](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowball_Game) where actions by people off the field clearly affected the outcome, and it wasn’t invoked then.
> [@brocks](#):
>
> > [@Marley23](#):
> >
> > That’s intentional grounding.
>
> Not if he gets outside the tackle box, which is why I said he should head for the sideline.
Note that the pass also has to make it back to the line of scrimmage, though this wouldn’t likely be an issue unless the QB managed to run back _really_ far.
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### Author:  [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-question-let-them-score/607297/82 "2012-02-09T01:31:23Z")
> [@Number](#):
>
> Note that the pass also has to make it back to the line of scrimmage, though this wouldn’t likely be an issue unless the QB managed to run back _really_ far.
He could have his receivers run back with him. They can help fend off the defense, and when he does throw it, he can just throw it at their feet. If a receiver is in the area, it doesn’t have to reach the line of scrimmage.
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-question-let-them-score/607297/83 "2012-02-09T01:37:51Z")
True, that would work. And the offense could put in their fastest runner at QB just for that play. He wouldn’t need much of an arm if he just needed to get it in the neighborhood of a receiver.
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