Hidden ball trick twist

[Texas Aggie]

8th grade game tonight. Working 3 man crew, I'm R. LJ is 7-8 year veteran. About 3 minutes left, team down 12-6 runs a reverse. After the second hand off, I'm still watching line play for anything I need to get but work toward the action. LJ has spot on his sideline down about 12 yards, but doesn't even stay with his spot (possible topic for discussion, but not here). He is coming back, and I look and see he threw a flag around the LOS. I'm thinking motion, illegal formation (new guy at HL) or something like that. Nope!

He says: "the runner TUCKED the ball under his shirt, ran, and then took it out from under it." He might have pointed to where it all happened and when, but after he said that, I said, "are you saying he did that INTENTIONALLY?"

"ABSOLUTELY. There is no doubt in my mind that is EXACTLY what he did," was his response. The shirts they were wearing were a little short -- supposed to come to at least the waist, but we're lax about that in subvarsity.

First time I worked with the guy, but he gave me no indication he would create something that wasn't there. We confirm its a USC foul, I signal, and ask him to mark off the penalty while I tell the coach. At first the coach acts baffled but doesn't ask for many details after I give him an explanation. He didn't stop me and say something like, "now, wait, tell me exactly what he did again..."

Later, I realized he didn't ask the player what he did or why he did that -- a sure tipoff that the coach knew and probably coaches it. This coach was on the opposite sideline the play went toward, and the coaches on the other sideline (who benefited from the call) were telling my guy that coach has a reputation for pulling stunts like that, fumblerooski, etc. I'm not too concerned about that -- may be self serving stuff.

Anyone ever had anything like this? I confess, I didn't see it. I had no idea the runner even changed hands with the ball, but I wasn't watching him closely.