Author Topic: Legal or Illegal Movement ?  (Read 15760 times)

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Offline TXMike

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Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« on: September 01, 2010, 05:41:13 AM »
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« Last Edit: September 01, 2010, 05:58:31 AM by TXMike »

Offline The Roamin' Umpire

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Re: Legal or Illegal Shifts ?
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2010, 05:55:34 AM »
Neither. False starts, clear as day.

Offline Welpe

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Re: Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2010, 07:55:45 AM »
I have a false start.

110

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Re: Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2010, 10:58:00 AM »
If this wasn't flagged, the crew should be flogged.

Offline mishatx

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Re: Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2010, 11:03:47 AM »
Coach should be flogged for teaching that BS.
  pi1eOn

Offline NVFOA_Ump

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Re: Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2010, 11:06:34 AM »
All false starts.  Any motion that simulates the beginning of the play has to be a false start.  The quickness of the movements here clearly simulate the beginning of a play.

From "The Football Code" under the coaching ethics section (FR-13 in the 09-10 Rulebook:  Shifting in a way that simulates the start of a play or employing any other unfair tactic for the purpose of drawing one’s opponent offside.  This can be construed only as a deliberate attempt to gain an unmerited advantage.

And from Rule 7.1.3.4:  4. No offensive player shall contact an opponent or make a false start, which includes:  (b) A shift or movement that simulates the beginning of a play. This includes the snapper who, after assuming a position for the succeeding snap and touching or simulating (hand(s) at or below his knees) touching the ball, moves to another position.
It's easy to get the players, getting 'em to play together, that's the hard part. - Casey Stengel

Diablo

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Re: Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2010, 11:45:14 AM »
I've got illegal shift on the second play.  Ball is snapped while Team A lineman are moving.
Given that the QB is apparently sacked for a loss, Team B might be inclined to decline the penalty.

Offline NVFOA_Ump

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Re: Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2010, 12:32:33 PM »
Don't understand how we can have an illegal shift on this play.  The "Illegal Shift" Movement that draws B into the NZ occurs before the snap, and as a result of that movement B is in the NZ before the snap, which does occur while B is still in the NZ and A has not yet set.  If we call illegal shift now we've got a live ball foul at the snap with B already in the NZ.  We've got offsetting fouls at that point.

This is clearly a "coached" technique, that by definition is illegal and IMO a virtual "automatic" false start, blow & throw.  Also, IMO the coach needs a talking to based on The Football Code preface in the rulebook.
It's easy to get the players, getting 'em to play together, that's the hard part. - Casey Stengel

Offline TXMike

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Re: Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2010, 12:49:13 PM »
Yep, it is a FS if before snap, an illegal motion if with the snap, and legal if after the snap starts. 
Agree with the code of ethics issue.

British Ref

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Re: Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2010, 12:49:46 PM »
I agree with a False Start call here.

Someone's been watching old Dallas Cowboys video.

Diablo

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Re: Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« Reply #10 on: September 03, 2010, 05:30:31 AM »
Don't understand how we can have an illegal shift on this play.  The "Illegal Shift" Movement that draws B into the NZ occurs before the snap, and as a result of that movement B is in the NZ before the snap, which does occur while B is still in the NZ and A has not yet set.  If we call illegal shift now we've got a live ball foul at the snap with B already in the NZ.  We've got offsetting fouls at that point.

I see the order of movements of the second play as 1) Team A lineman stand upright; 2) the snapper snaps the ball to the QB; 3)  Team B moves into the neutral zone.

Event 1) constitutents a shift.  After that shift, the ball was snapped before all those Team A linemen got set for 1 sec.  That's a live-ball foul for illegal shift.  Team B is in the neutral zone legally.


Offline NVFOA_Ump

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Re: Legal or Illegal Movement ?
« Reply #11 on: September 03, 2010, 06:35:17 AM »
After further review if you watch the 2nd play frame by frame, the ball is snapped before the A line movement but the QB who then has the ball doesn't move for a second or two and waits until the line moves, then pulls out from behind center.  The motion of the A line doesn't actually start until the ball is no longer on the ground, so the 2nd play is legal.
It's easy to get the players, getting 'em to play together, that's the hard part. - Casey Stengel