Can a player “give himself up”?

[Stoner]

Martinsville/Mooresville game last week—Martinsville has a short fourth-down FG attempt blocked backward into the air. The holder, standing, catches the ball, and just stands there for a couple seconds, with some Mooresville defenders around him, but they aren’t active either. Finally, the holder realizes it should be a live ball, and scampers into the end zone. Not sure if/when a whistle blew to kill the play, but Mooresville eventually was granted possession at the original LOS. Is there such a thing as a player giving himself up, and killing the play in this instance? It could have been a safety hazard situation.

[JustRules]

This is one of those things not specifically covered in the rule book. As you describe it though if the holder is making no attempt to continue the play and the defense has started to leave the field, it would be OK for the covering official to rule the play over. However, the defense/receiving team would get the ball 1st and 10 at the spot where the holder was when the down was declared over. I can't say if the crew handled the situation in your game correctly or applied good judgement, but it would be a judgement call on them. Ultimately this is something the crew should clear through the IHSAA though, as they are the ultimate rule interpreter for the state.