A team is lined up to punt. The snapper attempts to snap the ball to the punter, but the ball slips out of his hands. The ball left the ground and went through the snappers legs, but only 18 to 24 inches. The B team is slow to react and the snapper quickly shuffles back while still in his stance. He graps the ball and snaps it again and this time it makes it to the punter who gets the punt off. B team returns the punt for a touchdown.
Was the first snap legal, making the "2nd snap" a lateral and the play live? Or was it an illegal snap, making it a dead ball? Was there a penalty or not? Obviously since the play happened, I left it live from the wing but threw a flag. We were in a four man crew and this was a JV game. The Umpire and WH left it live also, but threw no flags. I threw a flag with the thought that an A lineman can't be the first to touch the snap and was also thinking fumble at the time, so leave it go, and pick up the flag if you have to. After the play, we talked it over and the feeling at the time was that there definitely was a penaltly, but what was it, and how were we going to explain to A's coaches that it should not have been blown dead. Illegal procedure was called and penalized on the try.
Please help me clear this one up. Most people immediately feel this one should have been blown dead and then say, wait a minute...
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Tue Sep 21, 2004, 08:47am
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