“Taking a knee” is a maneuver in American football where the quarterback drops to one knee to run out the clock and increase the odds of winning. It can also be a gesture of respect for an injured player or a disciplinary action. The practice is not allowed in other leagues. It can also be used as a sign of good sportsmanship or as a disciplinary action for players who fail to meet expectations. In pop culture, it can refer to skipping an event, kneeling in prayer, or proposing marriage.
Most commonly, “taking a knee” refers to a play in American football. Also called a quarterback kneeling, offensive kneeling, or victory formation, the maneuver causes time to run out, thus increasing the odds of a win for the leading team. The phrase can also refer to a gesture of respect that teams occasionally use when someone on the field of play is injured and, in some cases, is defined as a disciplinary action that a manager enforces during a game. In popular culture, it can mean skipping an event, kneeling in prayer, or proposing marriage.
Escape the clock
In American football, one team may have a very small point lead over their opponent during the closing seconds of the game, or the score may be tied. If that team has possession of the ball, the coach may order the quarterback to take a knee, meaning that he should immediately drop to one knee on the ground upon receiving the snap. In most cases, running backs position themselves on either side of the quarterback to protect him and, if necessary, regain possession of the ball after a fumble. A fourth team member positions himself behind the quarterback and faces any defender who might recover and run with a turnover. The play clock continues running after the quarterback takes a knee, so the leading team can simply run out the clock without running a single additional play.
Typically, to complete this maneuver, the leading team sacrifices one yard and uses one down. Many fans don’t like to see it done because they think it’s too boring and players should really play the game instead of running out of time. Even so, it has multiple benefits, the main one being that the risk of fumbling the ball is not as high, which reduces the chances of the opposing team gaining possession of the ball and having a chance to score, often preserving a win. It can take a game into overtime, providing a later chance for a clean win. It’s also a tool coaches can use when someone on the field gets hurt, because it reduces the amount of time they have to play additional plays that can lead to further injuries.
While this technique is accepted in American football, it doesn’t fare well in other leagues around the world. Notably, Arena and Canadian soccer do not allow this. Their rules state that the final moments of the game must involve a play or gain in yards.
sportsmanship
Teams sometimes resort to winning formations when the margin of victory is high or there are other circumstances that make the game appear lopsided. Time runs out to show respect and end the humiliation of the opposing team. Some people associate the game with good sportsmanship for this reason.
In general, when a team uses this game, the opposing team should concede the loss, but this doesn’t always happen. If there is still a slight chance to score and win, some teams actively try to regain possession of the ball, occasionally achieving a comeback victory. Some coaches and fans feel that this type of offense teaches that winning is more important than following protocol and that humiliating the other team is fine, but others think that the practice does not violate the ethics of sportsmanship, as part of being a good team is not about giving up and committing to the end.
When a player is on the field and the risk of serious injury is high, a coach might ask all players on his team to kneel – this is unrelated to a game. This is mostly a pee-pee leagues tradition, as team leaders needed a way to keep players in check while medical personnel provided treatment, but the tradition is still common at the high school level as a mark of respect for the player. injured. At the college and professional levels, it’s quite rare, because most coaches expect players to stay calm and thoughtful without kneeling.
Discipline
Sometimes, a player on a soccer or football team commits an unnecessary foul on the field or otherwise fails to meet his coach’s expectations. As a disciplinary action, the coach may order him to kneel, forcing him to immediately leave the field of play and kneel in a prominent place on the sideline. This exercise in public humiliation should inspire a player to become more focused or team-oriented once the penalty has been lifted.
Comfort during the general address
Coaches occasionally want to address all of their players, or at least the starting lineup, at the same time. They might ask the entire team to kneel, which is a way of asking players to get into a more comfortable kneeling position during the match. The goal here is not to humiliate or intimidate, but rather to give everyone an opportunity to see the coach, read a graph, or rest before resuming play.
Popular use for outdoor sports
While people use this expression more often in sports, people also use it in pop culture to describe someone who is trying to get out of an unpopular project or potentially embarrassing activity. A person may decide to kneel instead of attending a long awards ceremony or company dinner, for example, or he may skip the gym with friends if he knows he’s out of shape. A closely related phrase is “sit outside,” although this connotes not being ready or just needing a break more than being reluctant or afraid of shame.
A person may also use “get on your knees” to indicate that they are going to kneel and pray, or to tell someone else to do so. This stems in part from the traditional belief in most religions and governments that the head of the god or ruler should always be above the head of the “common” person. The practice is quite familiar in religious institutions, but can be somewhat controversial when practiced by someone outside a faith-based group. Football player Tim Tebow, for example, has sparked a furious debate with his habit of kneeling in prayer after each completed touchdown. Some people now use the form of his gesture, or “Tebow,” out of context in secular activities, which has angered many Christians.
More rarely, an individual will use “get on your knees” in reference to the romantic gesture of proposing marriage. Traditionally, when someone asks a partner to be a wife or husband, he or she drops to one knee. The gesture signifies commitment and, to some extent, submission, to the partner.
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