Someone please help with this rule. I ref football in Dallas. I had a game last night and had a play that went like this - the ball was ready for play and both teams are in position prior to the snap. A defensive player in an attempt to change sides jumps over the ball to get to the other side. He did not however make any contact with an offensive player nor was the ball snapped. I could have sworn that it was illegal to crossover the ball prior to the snap however. Is that not correct? If you could not tell I dropped the flag and wanted to call a neutral zone infraction but was overruled by the ref. Who is correct here?

An NZI requires a reaction by an offensive lineman. If there is no reaction, you can not have NZI.

Not a foul. Curious - where are you working in Dallas still? Most Peewee is over (and on weekends). All sub-v is over. And if you were working varsity, the game would not have been on Tuesday. Who is still playing on Tuesdays in town?

yep no infraction...however
 

A little clarification for some of the newer guys. The reason this isn't an infraction is because it is in TX where the schools play by NCAA rules...In most other states this is indeed an infraction...

Thank you for the TX clarification.

no problem, there is another state that plays NCAA rules as well but I can't remember which one...I think it is Ohio, but don't quote me...

Mass. and Texas use NCAA.

see I told ya not to quote me LOL thanks Snake Eyes

When you say 'jumped over the ball', what did you mean by that?

Did he jump from the defensive side to the offensive side, or did he just re-position himself along the LOS?

All defensive players can move anywhere they want, any time they want to, all at the same time before the ball is snapped. They can even boogaloo down Broadway. Just so long they do not encroach on the NZ, make contact with an offensive player, or try to intentionally draw the offense into a false start.

Chief
 

by jumping over the ball I mean horizontally. He jumped along the line of scrimmage as opposed to towards an opposing playing. Does that help?

The location of the ball has no bearing as to a defensive player moving laterally along the LOS.

It looks bad, but there is nothing wrong here.

Just so long they do not encroach on the NZ, make contact with an offensive player, or try to intentionally draw the offense into a false start.

Similar discussion on the other board. In NCAA you can have a foul on the defense without the defense ever getting in the NZ. Adding to what chiefgil said in his last sentence, here is the rule.

NCAA 7-1-5a4 states "Players aligned in a stationary position within one yard of the LOS cannot make quick or abrupt actions that are not part of normal defensive player movement in an obvious attempt to cause an offensive player(s) to foul (false start). An official shall sound his whistle immediately. [S7 and S21]" The foul is against the defense and it is a dead ball delay of game foul.

The "differences" book says examples are stomping a foot, clapping hands, <b>quickly standing up or moving to a 3 or 4 pt stance, quick head bob or quick movement of leg or arm. </b>

Not violations are shifting from one side, shifting from lineman to LB or vice versa. Also, LB's and DB's who run toward the LOS attempting to time their blitz are not in violation.
In fact, it says "movement by a team A player is not required for a violation to occur," however I would never call it if A does not react.
The key is they must be in a STATIONARY defensive position for this penalty to be a possibility.