Tell me what you think

[dammitbobby]

I had this occur during a six-man playoff game this year. I have discussed it with several different officials, and every one of them has a different opinion.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13724850/69792d453657e45f515a95ec

Choices I've heard so far include:

A) I've got nothing
B) This is an Illegal Shift
C) Illegal motion
D) False Start

I did not flag this at the time as I had 3 lineman on, then they moved, and I still wound up with three linemen. But - the 'settling forward' part of this, and the subsequent motion by someone technically a lineman bothers me.

From a strict rules interp, I have one conclusion but it doesn't align with how I think most officials would officiate this... What do you have?

[ElvisLives]

Honestly, I don’t see where there is any confusion or major judgment. The back that moves forward a little bit did not ever become a lineman - he’s a legal back. The right end who raised up and went in motion was in motion illegally, since you can’t be in motion from the line. Technically, you did NOT have more than three backs, since the right end never stopped in the backfield to become a back. Moot, though, because of the illegal motion. One 5-yard penalty in any case.

[Legacy Zebra]

Illegal motion. The end starts from the line of scrimmage, does not become stationary as a back, and is in motion at the snap. I would not have any foul on the near side player. He starts as a back, so he is allowed to pick his hand up. Even when he gets on the line of scrimmage by definition, he is still allowed to move his hand since he is an end. And more importantly, none of his movements simulate the snap in my opinion.

[dammitbobby]

So when I did my mental 'snapshot' of the line, I saw three people that could be ruled linemen - snapper, LG, LT. So I had the LT as a back using blade of grass. But when the closest back  scooted up, mentally I checked again, and I thought that the he, the snapper, and RG were on, and maybe I had just not waited long enough to see who was supposed to be where.

I think more than anything this was a play where the movement was poorly executed.