Spike

The spike is a type of play where the quarterback intentionally throws the ball on the ground right after the snap. It is the intentional incomplete pass. This method stops the clock without gaining any yardage. It is popular when the team hurries drive late in half. The stopping clock is usable when the team conserves or has no timeouts. It helps the offense to increase time for planning the next play.

The spike has another usage. The players celebrate the scoring attempts by spiking the ball. These actions aren’t considered intentional grounding if they happen in the end zone or the quarterback does the spike immediately after the snap.