[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

Okay, I get that. But bear with me for a second...a quarterback who comes out from behind center...(so far we have nothing)...walks to a part of the field...(so far we still have nothing)...makes some hand motion that is not a time out (so far still nothing)...says or doesn't say something that may or may not be even English or football-related (still nothing)...could still, conceivably (if there's time on the play clock), get the signal, nod his head, walk up and go back under center and run a play with everybody ready for the snap, correct?

I understand the "where's the tee?" stuff and the "I'll go get it" bit and it's obviously deception that's not sportsmanlike, but until there's an actual snap that IS deceptive, you're kinda making a judgment call (that may be pre-emptive). I know, we make judgment calls all the time, but in the Memphis case above (let's assume it happened in NFHS, just for argument's sake), the quarterback could STILL have gone back under center and run a completely legal play, correct? And, you'd assume, the defense would see that and line up and be ready for it.

I'm just sayin'. We let a team that's shifting illegally or that has a bad formation get itself in proper alignment because it's not a foul until they actually snap the ball. I know what the casebook says about the "missing tee" instance (and it probably applies to the "wrong ball" type thing, too), but the specific play in the original post may or may not rise to that same level depending on the verbiage used.

I say if the ball is snapped while the QB is walking away like that, I kill the play immediately and penalize USC. You are correct that everything they did up to the snap was legal and he can get back under center. That would be fine. But that's not what ultimately happened here.