Legal Motion....

[l3will]

Back when I first started officiating football after having played high school and college ball, I had the misconception that a back had to go in motion for about one second prior to the snap. But in reality as long as the back is in motion parallel or away from the oppenent's goal line, there is no set time for him to be in motion. So the back can legally go in motion very close to the snap.

The only reason I bring this up, is because I had it messed up way back then. Just hoping that others don't have this misconception too. Never actually called anyone for it, but when I'd see it... I had a strong impulse to toss the hanky.

Working a University of Iowa scrimmage cured me, back then they often had the back go in motion about a quarter of a count prior to the snap. Yeah, I know... those were the dark days for Iowa football.

[parepat]

I played at a college that ran the old single wing offense. Several of the plays called for the tailback (really the quarterback of the offense) to move a second or so before the snap. The center would then snap the ball at an angle and the TB was at the corner in a flash. All legal.

[ABoselli]

I worked a scrimmage two weeks ago where the offense would come up to the ball and set in a shotgun formation. No one has their hands on the ground, but is in a hands on knees position. The QB starts yelling his signals and then he yells SET! and the wideouts, flankers and backs all turn to the sideline and look at the coach, who then signals a play. I reached for it more than once.

The defense never moved, but, then again, they know the offense is going to do this so they'd have to be pretty conditioned by this point to stay put.

I haven't watched them play a reagular season game yet, but I'd be interested to see if they got any false starts in their first game.

[jack015]

Originally posted by parepat
I played at a college that ran the old single wing offense. Several of the plays called for the tailback (really the quarterback of the offense) to move a second or so before the snap. The center would then snap the ball at an angle and the TB was at the corner in a flash. All legal.

Which college did you attend? I was in college in the late 60's and I believe only 4 teams in the US ran a true single wing (East Carolina, Elon, Lenoir-Rhyne, and one other in the mid-west). I think they all switched to some type of T-formation shortly after that. Refereed a HS game in NC about 3 years ago and the visitors were a private school from VA that ran a true single wing and did it quite well.