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Football Officiating => NCAA Discussion => Topic started by: SJ_2010 on August 01, 2011, 09:16:42 PM
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I apologize if this has been covered before. A player starts outside the tackle box and goes in motion from left to right. When the player is directly behind the snapper he turns and faces the LOS while jogging in place. He continues to move his feet until the ball is snapped. As he is no longer moving toward a sideline but is still in motion, which is his adjacent sideline?
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The intent of the rule would be the sideline he was moving towards. In your situation that would be the right sideline.
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So, you are saying that after the snap the motion back could initially run a few steps to the left and then block low back to the right (in last year's lingo -- back toward the initial position of the ball)? From the jogging position this would be very easy to do.
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No one has a definitive answer for this. RR will have to weigh in. But he doesn't seem to like "dream plays," even though dream plays happen. So, fewer people are willing to send in such play examples. So, don't hold your breath waiting on a ruling.
Personally, I'd be tempted to wait and see which direction he goes. If he moves right, then the right sideline is his adjacent sideline. So, he can't turn back and block back to the left, and vice-versa. But that's just me, living in a dream.
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I agree, let him declare his adjacent sideline by the direction of his initial movement after the snap. Thanks for the thoughts.
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I agree, the right sideline is now his 'adjacent sideline.' It becomes his sideline the second he crosses the midpoint of the snapper, and if he turns around, he hasnt re-established himself on the left side of the formation.
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If he goes in motion and does not come to a stop he is locked in by his original position if he stops at the center.
If he continues past the center while facing the LOS it is now the adjacent sideline, right in the example. The key is the center and whether or not the motion man comes to a stop.
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If he goes in motion and does not come to a stop he is locked in by his original position if he stops at the center.
If he continues past the center while facing the LOS it is now the adjacent sideline, right in the example. The key is the center and whether or not the motion man comes to a stop.
Who says?
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If he goes in motion and does not come to a stop he is locked in by his original position if he stops at the center.
If he continues past the center while facing the LOS it is now the adjacent sideline, right in the example. The key is the center and whether or not the motion man comes to a stop.
You may need to check out all the bulletins that Redding has put out. It is clear that if a player is in motion and is behind the center when the ball is snapped, the adjacent sideline for that player will be the sideline in the direction his motion is taking him, not the one where he came from. If he hasn't got to the snapper yet, then it will be the sideline from where he came.
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If he goes in motion and does not come to a stop he is locked in by his original position if he stops at the center.
If he continues past the center while facing the LOS it is now the adjacent sideline, right in the example. The key is the center and whether or not the motion man comes to a stop.
Take a peek at Redding's Bulletin. You might change your take
COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFICIATING, LLC
INTERPRETATION
BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST: ADJACENT SIDELINE
Player Stationary At The Snap
The adjacent sideline is the sideline to the player’s outside. This is the case no matter where the ball is located when it is snapped.
For a player on the left side of the formation, this will be the sideline to the left.
For a player on the right side of the formation, this will be the sideline to the right.
EXAMPLE 1 The ball is at the right hash mark. Back A22 is one foot outside the tackle box to the left of the formation and he is stationary when the ball is snapped.
RULING: The left sideline is to A22’s outside so it is his adjacent sideline, even though technically he is closer to the sideline to his right, which is “across the formation” from him. A22 is 25 yards and one foot from the right sideline and is slightly more than 28 yards from the left sideline. The clear intent of the rule is for the adjacent sideline to be to his left, i. e., to his outside.
Player In Motion At The Snap
For a player who is moving at the snap, the adjacent sideline is determined the same as for a player who is stationary at the snap. That is, it is the sideline to the outside of his position at the snap. Note that his adjacent sideline will “flip” if his motion takes him beyond the snapper before the ball is snapped.
EXAMPLE 2 The ball is at the left hash mark. Back A33 is split far to the right. After all eleven Team A players have been set for at least one second A33 starts in motion to his left. When the ball is snapped he is just behind the right tackle and still moving laterally to the left.
RULING: The adjacent sideline for A33 is the right sideline, since he started from that
side and is still to the right of the snapper when the ball is snapped. Thus he may legally
block below the waist north-and-south or toward his right sideline.
EXAMPLE 3 The ball is at the left hash mark. Back A33 is split far to the right. After all
eleven Team A players have been set for at least one second A33 starts in motion to his
left. He continues beyond the snapper, and when the ball is snapped he is just behind
the left guard and is “running in place” rather than moving laterally.
RULING: The adjacent sideline for A33 is the left sideline; that is now the sideline to his
outside since his motion has taken him behind the snapper and to the opposite side of
the formation from which he started. Thus he may legally block below the waist northand-
south or toward his left sideline.
Player in Motion Directly Behind the Snapper
When a back in motion is almost directly behind the snapper when the ball is
snapped, it may be difficult to determine which side of the formation he is on to
establish his adjacent sideline. In this case, the adjacent sideline is interpreted to be the
sideline toward which he is moving. Thus he will be able to block below the waist legally
north-and-south or toward the sideline in front of him.
EXAMPLE 4 Back A44 lines up to the left of the formation, either inside or outside the
tackle box. He starts in motion laterally to his right. At the snap he appears to be
directly behind the snapper as he continues moving laterally to the right.
RULING: The adjacent sideline for A44 is the sideline to the right. Thus he may legally
block below the waist north-and-south or toward the sideline to the right of the
formation.
Rogers Redding
Secretary-Rules Editor
NCAA Football Rules Committee
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That is the problem with this play. If the player is jogging in place facing the LOS, he is not moving toward either sideline. He only meets one part of RR's memo. The one part he meets is being in motion directly behind the snapper. The second part is you need a direction toward a sideline. In this case he started from left to right but at the snap he is no longer moving to the right. He is only moving in place.
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Don't nitpick it. We know that if he is jogging in place he is still considered to be in motion. Since his last known motion was toward his right treat as if he is facing that way.
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I agree, it would be his right. Here is one to chew on...can the snapper have the left sideline as his adjacent sideline but the motion back directly behind him have the right sideline as his?
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Realizing that words are important (a man jogging in place is by definition the same as a man clearly moving from left to right), what is the difference (effect on safety/game play) between a man jogging in place behind the center and the stationary back 1 step behind and to his left or right? The stationary back can block low in any direction anywhere on the field. Other than the technical rule, what is the difference in impact to the game?
If the jogging back (that was moving from left to right) cuts the blitzing middle linebacker behind the center (towards his left sideline), who calls that?
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This is a great point and really highlights what is the basic problem with the rule...it is not doing what is intended. And I think this is why eventually we will be at the NFHS rule or even worse.
Some will say the guy in motion is creating momentum so his block might be more "vicious" but that depends on the player and just exactly what kind of motion he has.
As far as who picks it up...that player was restricted long before this year from blocking back towards the ball. I assume the R, U and flanks were the ones getting it before. Will have to be them now.