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Alright. I'll play devil's advocate here.
Originally this player, A82, was lined up as a back. We all agree about this. Then he went in legal motion and when the ball was snapped he was not in motion toward his opponent's goal line. We all agree about this. So this does meet all of the requirements of legal motion.
7-2-7 Only one A player may be in motion at the snap and then only if such motion is not toward his opponent’s goal line. Except for the player under the snapper, as outlined in Article 3, the player in motion shall be at least 5 yards behind his line of scrimmage at the snap if he started from any position not clearly behind the line and did not establish himself as a back by stopping for at least one full second while no part of his body is breaking the vertical plane through the waistline of his nearest teammate who is on the line of scrimmage.
However what is this player now. Is he a back or a lineman as these are the only two things he can legally be?
7-2-3 Of the players of A who are not on their line at the snap only one may penetrate the vertical plane through the waistline of his nearest teammate who is on his line. He must have his hands in position to receive the ball if it is snapped between the snapper’s legs but he is not required to receive the snap. Any other player(s) must be in legal position as a back. (See 2-31-3)
2-24-2 An offensive player is on his line of scrimmage when he complies with the position requirements of a lineman.
2-31-3 A back is any A player who has no part of his body breaking the plane of an imaginary line drawn parallel to the line of scrimmage through the waist of the nearest teammate who is legally on the line, except for the player under the snapper, who is also considered a back.
2-31-9 A lineman is any A player who is facing his opponent’s goal line with the line of his shoulders approximately parallel thereto and with his head or foot breaking an imaginary plane drawn parallel to the line of scrimmage through the waist of the snapper when the ball is snapped.
So I say he is not a lineman if his shoulders are not parallel to the goal line and he is breaking the snappers waist. I also say that he is not a back because he breaking the imaginary line through his nearest teammate who is legally on the line and is not under the snapper. So this guy is in no-man's land and creates an illegal formation.
Why would illegal formation be an incorrect call?
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