There's no way that's actually the rule, right? Maybe this is a bad assumption, but I would assume that the rule only permits an offended team to start the clock on the snap, but doesn't allow them to supercede the other rules to start on the RFP.
No, that is not the rule and for (among others) the aforementioned reasons:
Here is a typical situation where the rule change could be applied:
Team A is leading 10-9 with the clock running in the 4th quarter.
The white hat blows the RFP with 2:15 on the game clock.
With 1:55 remaining A77 commits a False Start Foul.
Under pre-2017 Rules, the Referee had to use his judgement (and Rule 3-4-6) to determine if the clock should start on the Snap or the RFP. (It was felt that Referees were inconsistent in this situation)
DUH!!!Under the 2017 rule, the Referee shall, by rule, have the offended captain choose if he/she would like the clock to start on the Snap rather than on the RFP.
Simple Change - It Eliminates a little glitch in the rules that, even though it directly violated the Coaches Code of Ethics, some coaches
allegedly COACHED, to gain an unfair advantage. Many argue that coaches
never coached players to do that, and, in my heart I believe that to be true!
However, right wrong or indifferent, that opportunistic door has been shut.