# NFL: When a defensive player falls after making an interception... **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 17, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-when-a-defensive-player-falls-after-making-an-interception/674143 "2013-11-17T21:22:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RearEchelon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RearEchelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RearEchelon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-when-a-defensive-player-falls-after-making-an-interception/674143/1 "2013-11-17T21:22:28Z")
…how is he not “down?” An offensive player falling after making a reception is “down” and the play stops. Why is this not true for interceptions? Just saw this in the Lions/Steelers game. Stafford threw an interception to a Steelers player who almost immediately fell to the ground, then got back up and ran it for ~20 yards. Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Miltonyz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Miltonyz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miltonyz)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-when-a-defensive-player-falls-after-making-an-interception/674143/2 "2013-11-17T21:28:44Z")
The rule is the same for offense and defense in the NFL. If a player goes down but not by contact then the play is still live. You might be confusing the rules with college football, where the play is always dead when a player goes down. In fact every once in the while in the NFL you will see a rookie receiver, make a diving catch and abandon the ball assuming the play is over. ---
**Author:** ![RearEchelon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RearEchelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RearEchelon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-when-a-defensive-player-falls-after-making-an-interception/674143/3 "2013-11-17T21:30:21Z")
> [@Miltonyz](#): > > The rule is the same for offense and defense in the NFL. If a player goes down but not by contact then the play is still live. You might be confusing the rules with college football, where the play is always dead when a player goes down. In fact every once in the while in the NFL you will see a rookie receiver, make a diving catch and abandon the ball assuming the play is over. That’s probably it. I watch a lot more NCAA than I do NFL. It just caught me off guard to see him get back up and keep running. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-when-a-defensive-player-falls-after-making-an-interception/674143/4 "2013-11-17T23:01:06Z")
> [@RearEchelon](#): > > That’s probably it. I watch a lot more NCAA than I do NFL. It just caught me off guard to see him get back up and keep running. The (now) defense only has to put a finger on the ball handler for the play to be dead. No touch = live ball. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-when-a-defensive-player-falls-after-making-an-interception/674143/5 "2013-11-18T00:02:05Z")
Perfect question for the Game Room. Moved from General Questions. **samclem** , moderator ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-when-a-defensive-player-falls-after-making-an-interception/674143/6 "2013-11-18T00:47:29Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The (now) defense only has to put a finger on the ball handler for the play to be dead. No touch = live ball. Also, because minimal contact will end the play, the opposing player cannot take a free shot and throw a full force tackle while the player is on the ground. Such an action will result in a 15 yard “unnecessary roughness” penalty. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-when-a-defensive-player-falls-after-making-an-interception/674143/7 "2013-11-19T16:05:21Z")
Right- in college football, if a quarterback or running back slips on a wet field, and falls to even one knee, the play is over. In the NFL, even if a quarterback or running back slips and falls on his face, he can (and SHOULD) get up quickly and continue the play. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-when-a-defensive-player-falls-after-making-an-interception/674143/8 "2013-11-19T17:21:45Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Right- in college football, if a quarterback or running back slips on a wet field, and falls to even one knee, the play is over. In the NFL, even if a quarterback or running back slips and falls on his face, he can ( **and SHOULD** ) get up quickly and continue the play. Emphasis added. This is situationally true. If he’s about to get cremated if he stands up, or his grip on the ball is in some doubt, he’d be wiser to stay down. There’s higher chance he’ll officially retain possession of the ball if he gets hit and the ball is jarred loose… or a hard hit while he’s down might be ruled unnecessary roughness, whereas if he’s trying to continue to make “football moves” he’s still fair game.