Swinging Gate Play - Can Defensive line go low if they do so right away

[BG5]

This play deals with the free blocking zone and how it pertains to the swinging gate play.

Had a play a week ago in a JV game.  Team runs a swinging gate play and the defensive line goes low against of offenive lineman right away.  The ball is 20 yards to the right as its being snapped.  Is this legal?  Can the defense go low right away if the guy they are blocking is on the line at the snap and their low block is immediate?  The diagram below is to help with a visual with the ball being O and the XXXXXX being defensive players



                                                     XXXXXX
               O                                  ETGCGTE

[Snapper]

This play deals with the free blocking zone and how it pertains to the swinging gate play.

Had a play a week ago in a JV game.  Team runs a swinging gate play and the defensive line goes low against of offenive lineman right away.  The ball is 20 yards to the right as its being snapped.  Is this legal?  Can the defense go low right away if the guy they are blocking is on the line at the snap and their low block is immediate?  The diagram below is to help with a visual with the ball being O and the XXXXXX being defensive players



                                                     XXXXXX
               O                                  ETGCGTE

No they can not.

The Free Blocking Zone is centered on the spot of the snap, so all of those players are outside of the Zone at the snap.  See rule 2-17 for the definition of the zone.

[sczeebra]

Absolutely...................................................................................NOT!

[CalhounLJ]

This play deals with the free blocking zone and how it pertains to the swinging gate play.

Had a play a week ago in a JV game.  Team runs a swinging gate play and the defensive line goes low against of offenive lineman right away.  The ball is 20 yards to the right as its being snapped.  Is this legal?  Can the defense go low right away if the guy they are blocking is on the line at the snap and their low block is immediate?  The diagram below is to help with a visual with the ball being O and the XXXXXX being defensive players



                                                     XXXXXX
               O                                  ETGCGTE

No, it's not legal. Blocking below the waist is only legal in the free blocking zone.

[BG5]

Makes perfect sense now after thinking about it.  Thanks for the feedback

[bama_stripes]

This is an interesting question, and one I hadn’t thought of before.

On a test, there’s no doubt that the BBW is illegal.  In practice, when K snaps from the swinging gate (rather than shifting into scrimmage kick formation) the linemen are almost always in a 2-pt stance and pass block.

I’m not sure, what with checking numbers, eligibles, number of backs, etc that a lineman who BBW from the gate would get my attention.

I’m also not sure that the intent of the rule was to prevent a lineman from making an immediate BBW on a defensive lineman who’s lined up directly across from him, regardless of the position of the ball.  There’s no additional inherent risk of injury.

[HLinNC]

I’m also not sure that the intent of the rule was to prevent a lineman from making an immediate BBW on a defensive lineman who’s lined up directly across from him, regardless of the position of the ball.  There’s no additional inherent risk of injury.

NC's interpretation has been that there can be no legal BBW from a 2 point stance as the dropping down to block is not immediate.  "Your results may be different."

As far as position of the ball goes, the 6 x 8 yd FBZ rectangle around the ball is fairly specific, one would think.

[NVFOA_Ump]

NC's interpretation has been that there can be no legal BBW from a 2 point stance as the dropping down to block is not immediate.

That's an interesting interpretation that's not supported in the rule book or case play book.  That also doesn't meet the simple definition of immediate since most offensive linemen in a "2 point stance" actually have a hand on the knee instead of the ground so saying that one is illegal and the other is not doesn't make sense if the first immediate movement is to block low.

[bama_stripes]

NC's interpretation has been that there can be no legal BBW from a 2 point stance as the dropping down to block is not immediate.

Well, that makes it a simple black/white issue.  It’s legal in Alabama.

That said, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually seen a BBW from a 2-point stance.

[HLinNC]

That's an interesting interpretation that's not supported in the rule book or case play book.  That also doesn't meet the simple definition of immediate since most offensive linemen in a "2 point stance" actually have a hand on the knee instead of the ground so saying that one is illegal and the other is not doesn't make sense if the first immediate movement is to block low.

I may be wrong, but I think that's Oregon's interp also.  In fact my recollection is we got it from them.

[CalhounLJ]

Well, that makes it a simple black/white issue.  It’s legal in Alabama.

That said, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually seen a BBW from a 2-point stance.

We've called the illegal version before. Shotgun snap, lineman drops and then cuts. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a lineman in a two point stance fire off and try to go low immediately though.