Author Topic: Scrimmage Kick Formation  (Read 1979 times)

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Offline Whodatboy18

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Scrimmage Kick Formation
« on: September 06, 2025, 04:31:10 PM »
Regarding the change for having a player directly in line with the snapper or between the snapper and punter prevents being in a scrimmage kick formation. Does anyone have any insight on if a player in motion across the formation and is directly behind the snapper at the snap would also qualify as not being in a scrimmage kick formation?

Offline dammitbobby

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Re: Scrimmage Kick Formation
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2025, 09:12:27 AM »
My uninformed opinion says yes, and if something were to occur that involved whether or not it was a valid SKF, it would take the whole crew coming together to get all the facts and information correct, and then decide what the outcome would be, since different officials would have different pieces of the puzzle.

Offline ElvisLives

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Re: Scrimmage Kick Formation
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2025, 10:08:59 AM »
The truth is no one will have an authoritative response to this. This is a good question, and reveals a gap in the rule that only Shaw and the rules committee can address. They obviously didn't consider the possibility of a player in motion passing through the line between the snapper and the potential kicker at the moment the ball is snapped.
Me, personally, for what that's worth, I would not take away the ability of the offense to snap the ball to a motion back, while, at the same time, forcing Team A to be in compliance with mandatory numbering, and allow Team B to place a player head-up on the snapper. Team A might have an 'option' play depending on the defensive formation, i.e., they may only try for a TD if Team B looks like they are really trying to block the kick. But, if Team B looks like they could cover a TD attempt, Team A might just go through with a FG attempt.
Somehow, this needs to be brought to the attention of the rules committee so they can decide how they want the game to be played.

Offline Legacy Zebra

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Re: Scrimmage Kick Formation
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2025, 10:46:52 AM »
My advice: Do not throw a flag on a man in motion for being in the frame of the snapper or in the line between the snapper and kicker. You will be wrong 99.99% of the time and the 10,000th time won’t be worth it. Your eyes and brain can’t process fast enough to place him exactly where he was when the snap occurred. Anybody who has ever worked line of scrimmage in an arena league or Canadian football where receivers are running toward the line will tell you, those guys running at full speed are always further back than you think they are. This is the same thing. The frame of the snapper and the line from the snapper to the kicker are only one step wide. If you try to pinpoint him being exactly behind the snapper or in that line to the kicker, he’s not going to be where you thought he was. This is even more true for a motion back catching the snap. He’s catching the snap in the frame of the body or in line with the kicker, he obviously wasn’t there when the snap occurred. Just by physics, he had to have been in a legal position when the ball was snapped so that he would intercept its path at full speed.

In short, I wouldn’t even touch this.

Offline bctgp

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Re: Scrimmage Kick Formation
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2025, 11:24:35 AM »
There is no foul for a player in motion that at the snap is in the direct line of snapper to kicker.  Just means we may not have a SKF and so forth.....

Offline FWREF

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Re: Scrimmage Kick Formation
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2025, 01:39:23 PM »
My advice: Do not throw a flag on a man in motion for being in the frame of the snapper or in the line between the snapper and kicker. You will be wrong 99.99% of the time and the 10,000th time won’t be worth it. Your eyes and brain can’t process fast enough to place him exactly where he was when the snap occurred. Anybody who has ever worked line of scrimmage in an arena league or Canadian football where receivers are running toward the line will tell you, those guys running at full speed are always further back than you think they are. This is the same thing. The frame of the snapper and the line from the snapper to the kicker are only one step wide. If you try to pinpoint him being exactly behind the snapper or in that line to the kicker, he’s not going to be where you thought he was. This is even more true for a motion back catching the snap. He’s catching the snap in the frame of the body or in line with the kicker, he obviously wasn’t there when the snap occurred. Just by physics, he had to have been in a legal position when the ball was snapped so that he would intercept its path at full speed.

In short, I wouldn’t even touch this.

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