False Start or Illegal Motion

[Ed Hickland]

Originally posted by See_Leather
I blieve it would depend on one of two things:
1) If he breaks the NZ or draws the D into NZ = Fasle Start
2) If he is moving forward before snap and not breaking the NZ = Illegal Motion
Don't you think??

I do offer these mechanical reminders:
False Start; Do not let the play get started!!
Illegal Motion; Foul at the snap, flag it after the the snap.

(1) Is easy...false start. (2) If he starts one second before and that start is forward, that is a false start. If he starts in motion and that motion has moved forward and he has not reset, illegal motion.

Remember this, if a play goes for a touchdown and you call it back be it a false start or illegal motion, they will nto like it. If you think it is a false start, blow it dead right away and there is no controversy.

I tell my linemen if a false start happens and the snap goes give it a big toot and stop the play. As a white hat nothing is harder to explain than a touchdown run that was called back because of a dead ball foul. In other words, it never happened.