Editorial quirk in the rules?

[TxJim]

So, last Friday night with about 7 min left in the game, Team A free kicked the ball before I blew the RFP.
I gave the DOG signal 21 and announced it as "Delay of Game, Kicking Team, the ball was kicked before the Ready for Play signal, five yard penalty, free kick."

So, as I prep for my game this week, I’m in the book and then looking at 4-1-4.
Seeming, the statement of the penalty wants S19 but the Summary in the back has S21?

Ball Ready for Play
ARTICLE 4. No player shall put the ball in play before it is ready for play
(A.R. 4-1-4-I and II).
PENALTY—Dead-ball foul. Five yards from the succeeding spot [S19].

S19, the tumbling hands signal
Now, I go look at AR 4-1-4 I and II

Ball Ready for Play—ARTICLE 4
Approved Ruling 4-1-4
I.    Snapper A1 snaps the ball before the ball is made ready for play. A2 muffs
the snap and B1 recovers the ball. RULING: Dead-ball foul, Team A delay
of game. Penalty—Five yards from the succeeding spot, Team A’s ball. The
ball does not become alive, and all action should be stopped immediately by
the game officials.
II.    Kicker A1 kicks off before the referee has declared the ball ready for play.
RULING: Dead-ball foul. Penalty—Five yards from the succeeding
spot. The ball does not become alive, and all action should be stopped
immediately by the game officials.

Now look at Appendix G Summary of penalties for 4-1-4 has S21.

Putting ball in play before it is ready . ............................................................ 21 4 1 4


So, do they want on a scrimmage play to have S21 but on a kick play want S19?
Just seems we should have a consistent signal for any DOG.

I get it.... Terribly small, in the weeds, just noticing something…  Did I miss something else?

[ElvisLives]

Yeah, this is a coordination issue. If I had the ear of the Editor (like I did with John Adams many years ago), I would suggest that the rules and ARs be edited for both of those situations in which the ball is put in play before the referee’s signal to be S21, delay of game.
At this point, “6 of one, a half-dozen of the other,” ya know. 😉

I would prefer disconcerting signals and abrupt defensive movements to be S19, as long as EVERY field using NCAA rules had a referee’s field microphone. Then the signal, itself, wouldn’t matter much. But, when there is no mic, S21 helps visually distinguish those fouls from false starts, in particular. A trained PA could then figure that out, without an announcement.

Greater issues in the world, but, I’m on your side.