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Old Sun Aug 22, 2004, 09:01pm
SoGARef SoGARef is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Valdosta, GA
Posts: 149
Here is how Demetriou and Redding say it in "Officials Study Guide to NFHS Football Rules, 2004 Ed., Pg. 7.

"The snapper, after touching the ball, may not do anything that makes it look as if the play is about to begin before he actually snaps the ball. He is not allowed to move the ball forward, lift it, roll it, rotate it end-for-end, fail to keep the long axis of the ball perpendicular to the line of scrimmage or take both his hands off it. He may lift the ball for lateral rotation, tilt to a 90 degree angle, or remove one hand (if he has placed both hands on it) as long as he does so smoothly and slowly. And after all of this, he must clearly pause before the snap.

When I umpired and still now as a referee I tell the snapper that he may spin (moving the laces to the left or right) the ball, but he may not lift it up. The way the rule reads and the way Demetriou and Redding interpret the snapper would be able to lift the ball when he first touches the ball to adjust it and then he can do no other adjustments or lifting of the ball.
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