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What happens when you take a knee in football?

Published in Football Game Management 2 mins read

When a player, typically the quarterback, takes a knee in football, they receive the snap and immediately kneel down. This action is officially recognized as a play that counts as a run, and it has specific effects on the game clock and play clock.

The Mechanics of Taking a Knee

The process of taking a knee is straightforward:

  • The quarterback positions themselves behind the center as usual.
  • They take the snap, initiating the play.
  • Immediately upon receiving the ball, they kneel down, effectively ending the play quickly.

According to the provided information, this action counts as a run play.

Impact on the Game Clock and Play Clock

The primary consequence of taking a knee relates to time management in the game:

  • The game clock will continue to run after the play concludes.
  • The play clock will reset, starting the countdown for the next play according to the rules.

Strategic Use and Timeouts

Taking a knee is often used strategically at the end of a half or game. A key factor in this strategy is the opposing team's timeout situation.

The reference states:

  • "If the opponent is out of timeouts, they will be unable to stop the clock."
  • This situation leads to "causing the clock to stop and running out the remaining time in the game."

Essentially, if the opposing team cannot stop the clock by calling a timeout, taking a knee allows the team with the ball to consume time off the game clock without risking a turnover, thus helping secure a win or end a half.

Here's a summary of the immediate effects based on the provided information:

Action Play Type Game Clock Play Clock Timeout Impact (Opponent out)
Quarterback Takes Knee Counts as a run Continues Run Resets Cannot stop clock

In summary, taking a knee is a simple action that ends a play quickly, counts as a run, keeps the game clock running, and resets the play clock, making it a crucial tactic for running out the clock when the opponent lacks timeouts.