Do NFL players get fined for giving away footballs to the fans?

The NFL has a strict code of conduct when it comes to the safety of players and fans. Football is a dangerous game for the players, as injuries are a part of it. However, the leagues make sure that the spectators are safe and secure.

To achieve this, the NFL Players Association works together to assemble an on-field code of conduct for players and has created a catalog of strict violations and fines.

Many times you see a player throw a ball toward the stand or present the football to a fan. If a player does this, they may receive a fine from the league. Read on to learn how much the league fines when a player gives the ball away.

If a player picks out a fan in the crowd and directly hands them a football, they avoid a fine. However, if the athlete hurls the ball into the stands crammed with spectators, they will receive a fine from the league.

The NFL Football Operations labels the "Football Into Stands" violation as part of the sportsmanship category. To avoid fans fighting over a football, the league does fine players $5,787, and $11,576 for a second offense, for throwing a football into the stands, but handing the ball to a fan is perfectly acceptable.

Since his rookie season, former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been known to hand the ball away to children in the stands. Yes! He has never been fined for it.

Newton once revealed:

"Giving a child or a kid a football...is something you will cherish for your whole professional career. I've seen kids cry. We call it the Sunday giveaway."

How does a player know the NFL has fined them?

If the league fines a player, a letter will be sent to them outlining the rules they violated in the league. Players will also be provided "a video of the play in question, why they are being fined, and how much it will cost them," according to NFL Football Operations.

Although attacking a player or making physical contact with a referee are more serious offenses, throwing a football into the stands is nevertheless harmful to the spectators, as doing so in the spur of the moment might cause a serious injury to an innocent individual or group of spectators.