Power Right

[Middleman]

Originally posted by ccbestul
Team A lines up ... After they are set, the original slot back (who is in a crouched position.)...

******misses the count*****

...and moves forward with one step...

...and then stands still for one count. Nobody is drawn offside by this move nor is it overly dramatic.


Three of us (5-man crew) saw the move and we all detemined it was a non-call. Any disagreement?

I'll disagree (I'm assuming Fed rules)- it sounds like a false start to me, and the REFEREE, or perhaps the wing man on that side, should have flagged it. The fact that noone was drawn offside has no bearing on the foul.

Having said that, three of you judged it to be nothing, so that's what it was. Personally, I'm a stickler and the key to my interpretation here is that "misses the count" statement. Sounds like the slotback thought he should start, so he did.

If you all judged that it was nothing more than a shift (because he reset and remained motionless for a second) I can't argue against that as a judgement call. But my guess is that the three of you who DID see it, all questioned the no call in your own minds and then got together to discuss it later - leading me to believe it was more than just a shift. Otherwise it would have passed as just another play.

That's my two-cents worth. I wasn't there, but I want to make the point that a false start is a false start, even when the defense is not drawn off.