Illegal Shift on Wildcat

[will27]

In Sunday's Jets-Saints game, the Jets broke the huddle, Geno Smith walked
to the LOS barking "directions" but did not go under center. Suddenly he goes
in motion toward the right sideline (he was actually moving slightly away from LOS)
and the ball is direct snapped to the running back.

The play was blown dead for Illegal Shift. Is it illegal for a QB to go in motion?

[Legacy Zebra]

Could it have been that they were never set brfore the snap? I didn't see the game, but that's what your description kinda sounds like.

[will27]

Yea, I believe the Referee announced that "not all 11 players were set before the snap."
However there didn't seem to be anything obvious regarding another player not being set.
The announcers couldn't figure it out.

[maven]

If it was "blown dead," then the ruling was a false start, not illegal shift. Illegal shift is a live-ball foul, and the play runs.

NCAA and NFL philosophy is that if A never comes set, the illegal shift converts to a false start. No reason to let this play go, so they shut it down.

[will27]

Call was definitely "Illegal Shift."

[APG]

Rule 7, Section 4, Article 8

It is also an illegal shift if a player under or behind center goes in motion and fails to come to a complete stop for at least one full second prior to the snap, or before a second player goes in motion.

Also note that this would normally be an illegal shift, but if it was under a minute and the clock was running, if the illegal shift is for all 11 players failing to be set, the penalty would become a false start penalty with a 10 second run off.