If the coach did not cover this with the R before the game, I would probably have a flag and sort it out. There are not 5 players on the line numbered 50 - 79 so when the center puts his hand on the ball, the center and the two players on each side of him are now the interior linemen. This makes #15 ineligible. When the two outside backs move to the LOS, you now have a strong side with one ineligible because he is covered.
Seems to me this should have been flagged if the R and U set their number exception be fore the shift.
Am I wrong?
A36, spread to the left, was always a back. A15 was ALWAYS the left end. Nothing about their formation ever changed those facts. The two players to the far right side of the formation were not on the line when the formation was first established, so neither were numbering exceptions until they moved onto the line. When A22 and A4 moved forward onto the line, A22 became a numbering exception, as did A92 (who got covered by A22 and A4).
By the discussions I had with John Adams regarding numbering exceptions many years ago, his words to me were that Team A was not to be allowed to abuse the numbering exceptions rule to confuse Team B with regard to which players were eligible. Once a player became an exception, he remained ineligible, IF THEY ULTIMATELY SNAP FROM A SKF. After a SKF is established, they could change the formation, by moving folks around within line and/or adding folks to the line, the but the exceptions remained ineligible (and, of course, the exceptions were subject to false start restrictions of ineligible linemen). But, if they do change to a non-SKF formation, then they would no longer have the ability to have numbering exceptions. Similarly, if they moved more people onto the line after an SKF was established, then everybody that was/is an exception must still be on the line, and NOT on the end of the line, at the snap.
7-1-4-a-5-(b) would not be necessary if the numbering exception rule only applied to players on the line and between the ends at the moment a SKF is first established. So, any time AFTER a SKF is first established, Team A players with numbers other than 50-79 who take positions on their line of scrimmage and between the ends, and the team comes to a stop with a one-second pause in a SKF, also become numbering exceptions.
Here is an example:
4/15, A-35, 8:00 (2), A=7, B=0. Team A has 11 players on the field, all wearing numbers other than 50-79. When snapper A99 addresses the ball, and all players of Team A have come to a complete stop, Team A is in the following formation:
81
83 85 99 82 84 86
87 88
89
11 (ten yards behind the NZ)
Following a one-second pause, Team A shifts to the following formation:
81
87 83 85 99 82 84 86 88
89
11 (ten yards behind the NZ)
When the formation is first established, it is obvious a scrimmage kick will be attempted. Team A has 7 linemen, all numbered other than 50-79, i.e., all interior linemen are numbering 'exceptions.' Following the shift, it is still obvious Team A will make a scrimmage kick, thus, A87 becomes a numbering exception, and, by becoming 'covered,' A86 also becomes a numbering exception. When Team A snaps from this formation, this is a legal formation. A82 thru A86, and A99 are exceptions, and are ineligible. Note that, unless they have placed a hand/hands on/near the ground, A82 thru A86 could change positions between A81 and A88, all they want. A99 can't change positions, once he is established as the snapper.
