Husain Abdullah, a player of Kansas City Chiefs of National Football League, has been penalised for his act on the ground what was apparently like Sejdah.
The 29 years devout Muslim player was penalised for violation of the league's celebration rules.
Chiefs' safety Husain Abdullah was delighted to pick off a Tom Brady pass and return the interception for a touchdown.
He immediately slides down onto his knees and, being of Muslim faith, prayed in celebration.
It's not uncommon for players to do such a thing, with many Christian players raising their hands and looking to the sky to celebrate.
However, a strict reading of the rulebook reveals why Abdullah was flagged. Using the ground for celebration is not allowed, although Tebow was allowed to kneel.
The penalty comes under Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (d) of the NFL rulebook, which states that "players are prohibited from engaging in any celebrations or demonstrations while on the ground."
Mike Pereira, the league's former vice-president of officiating and now a Fox Sports commentator, pointed out that there is an exception to the rule: going to the ground in prayer.
The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty immediately flooded social media sites, with many users on Twitter arguing the case against penalising Abdullah.
Abdullah has been just as outspoken in his Muslim faith as Tebow has in his Christianity, walking away from the game for the entire 2012 season to take a spiritual pilgrimmage to Mecca with his brother Hamza , a fellow NFL player.
