[coachd]

We play in a Youth Football League in Illinois and follow the IHSA (Illinois High School Assoc.) and NFHS rules. There are no league-specific rules or IHSA rules which override the NFHS on Illegal Shift or Illegal Motion.

Situation: Offense breaks huddle and approaches LOS. QB calls "Down" and all players (except Center & QB) hit thigh pads (2-pt stance) and all 11 players hold position for 1 second. Then a RB goes in motion parallel to LOS while everyone is in a 2-pt stance. Then QB calls "Set" and everyone else except for RB in motion moves into a 3-pt stance. The RB continues motion through the snap.

Is this an Illegal Shift?

(A) I have read posts stating that moving from a 2-pt stance to a 3-pt stance is a Shift and therefore all 11 players must come to a stop for 1 second.

(B) I also read the Motion-Shift Paper that was posted by one of the members and it describes a RB going in motion simultaneously with other players getting into their 3-pt stance as a "classic illegal shift."

If both of these situations are true, then I would think that a RB in motion when everyone else shifts into a 3-pt stance would be illegal. It seems that a legal man in motion becomes an Illegal Shift when the ball is snapped because the RB did not stop and get set for 1 second.

Is that a correct interpretation?