Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Goodman
Maybe you do want to favor team A this way, but I don't think the wording of the rules calls for it. I think "simulating" here refers to a deliberate or at least consequential (in terms of affecting an opponent's play) act, as it does in a simulated substitution or simulating carrying the ball, and so a player who accidentally moves early, unless in violation of some specific provision of the rule on false starts, should not incur a false start call unless they cause the other team to react.
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You're wrong, simulating action at the snap has nothing to do with what the defense does. If the player is moving because he thought the ball was going to be snapped then that is a false start. What if the offensive tackle is set with his hands not near the ground, he gets confused and thinks the ball with be snapped and takes two steps backwards, the ball is not snapped and his movement does not affect B in any way? Going by what you believe this would not be a foul as he was not in violation of any specific provision of the rule on false starts (other than simulating action at the snap) and he did not cause B to react.