Quote:
Originally posted by mbcrowder
Speaking of deceptive, but legal...
2 weeks ago we had an 8th grade coach that loved the deceptive stuff. Most of it worked (although his team got killed), but we blew it on one of them. Deception was good enough that it fooled us.
It was raining. After a timeout, offense comes out and lines up over the ball. R blows it ready when both teams are set (ball was dry when I (umpire) set it, but had gotten a little wet in the interim). QB approaches the center and says - give me the ball, it's wet. The center is a little to the side of the ball, and picks it up quickly and hands it to QB (a legal, if unorthodox, snap - it was smooth and continuous). QB walks casually behind the lineman towards his sideline, yelling "Coach, it's wet".
Unfortunately, R blows his whistle and asks for the ball, throwing it to the sideline for a new one. QB was just past the TE by that point, and likely would have gone for a good gain if we'd not blown it dead.
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This play is definitely illegal. The following play is the "where is the tee" ruling from the case book.
*9.9.3 SITUATION B: From a field goal formation, potential kicker A1 yells, Where's the tee? A2 replies, I ll go get it and goes legally in motion toward his team's sideline. Ball is snapped to A1 who throws a touchdown pass to A2. RULING: Unsportsmanlike conduct prior to snap. COMMENT: Football has been and always will be a game of deception and trickery involving multiple shifts, unusual formations and creative plays. However, actions or verbiage designed to confuse the defense into believing there is problem and a snap isn't imminent is beyond the scope of sportsmanship and is illegal.
This rule was changed after a local team from around here ran a play where the center told the QB that the officials had the wrong ball. The head coach then raised a ball he had on the sideline to indicate he had the right ball for them to use. The center handed the QB the ball in a legal snap that didn't go through his legs. The QB jogged toward the sideline and when he got outside of the players he turned and ran down field for a touchdown. The coach and the QB were flown to New York to be on the Letterman Show. The next year the rule was changed to make that illegal.