Kill the Play or Not?

[SouthGARef]

In teaching our new flag football officials (whose rules are VERY similar to NFHS) we teach them the following acronyms. They're by no means perfect, but they will get you well on your way.

KILL THE FOLLOWING: (FIELD fouls)

F-False Start
I- Illegal Snap
E-Encroachment
L-Leaving the field on the wrong side (and other illegal sub. penalties)
D-Delay of game

ALLOW THE PLAY TO CONTINUE: (MISHAP fouls)

M-Motion (Illegal)
I- Illegal Substition (sometimes--this is by no means perfect)
S-Shift
H-Having fewer than seven on the line of scrimmage
A-A player not within the nine yard marks at the RFP
P-Participation (Illegal)


Like I said, it's by no means perfect, and by no means exhaustive. But it's helpful. Like others have said, if there's something that doesn't become a foul until the ball is snapped (like motion/shift--they can move forward or more more than two people UNTIL the snap), the play continues.

[Fedex]

Thanks to all who responded. I really appreciate it. Here's partly why I asked this question. I had a situation where the offensive tackle puts his hand on the ground simultaneously with the snap (Wasn't set for 1 second). I, as the linesman, throw the flag and let the play continue. At halftime, the GM of the team berates me because he said I should have blown the play dead. Was I correct in letting it go?

[Warrenkicker]

Originally Posted by Fedex

Thanks to all who responded. I really appreciate it. Here's partly why I asked this question. I had a situation where the offensive tackle puts his hand on the ground simultaneously with the snap (Wasn't set for 1 second). I, as the linesman, throw the flag and let the play continue. At halftime, the GM of the team berates me because he said I should have blown the play dead. Was I correct in letting it go?

Sounds like you got it right. That is a shift and illegal shifts don't kill the play.

And GMs might be great fans of football but some don't have great rules knowledge so I wouldn't worry about him.

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by Fedex

Thanks to all who responded. I really appreciate it. Here's partly why I asked this question. I had a situation where the offensive tackle puts his hand on the ground simultaneously with the snap (Wasn't set for 1 second). I, as the linesman, throw the flag and let the play continue. At halftime, the GM of the team berates me because he said I should have blown the play dead. Was I correct in letting it go?

REPLY: Yes, you were correct since there was no reason to blow it dead. A lineman putting his hand on the ground is a legal act. The only thing that made the play illegal was that the snap occurred less than one second after the lineman's shift (yes...it was a shift). So, it was the snap that made the play qualify as an illegal shift -- a foul that occurs simultaneously with the snap. Some people insist that this be shut down after the snap. But this violates the football fundamental that no foul causes the ball to become dead.