Video highlights

[DrMooreReferee]

Greetings,

Here is a link to a series of highlights. This game was played in South Carolina. The interesting play occurs about 38-40 seconds into the clip. Feel free to watch the whole clip of course. But I'd be interested to see what you guys think about this particular play. Trust me, you'll know which play I'm talking about when you see it. And I'll go ahead and tell ya, it didn't get flagged.

Here's the link---http://www.heraldonline.com/media/2006/10/06/23/FB-RHHSvCHS.source.mov

The Doctor

[OverAndBack]

Easier link so you don't have to copy and paste.


After watching: Dude, that's just wrong. That's complete nonsense.

[Warrenkicker]

How can anyone in this day and age let that go.

9.9.3 COMMENT: Football has been and always will be a game of deception and trickery involving multiple shifts, unusual formations and creative plays. However, actions or verbiage designed to confuse the defense into believing there is problem and a snap isn't imminent is beyond the scope of sportsmanship and is illegal.

[OverAndBack]

Okay, so my question is, then....would you shut the play down, or would you drop the flag, continue to officiate and see what happens?

I mean, it's conceivable the play could backfire and the offense could throw an interception or fumble and have it returned for a touchdown.

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

Okay, so my question is, then....would you shut the play down, or would you drop the flag, continue to officiate and see what happens?

I mean, it's conceivable the play could backfire and the offense could throw an interception or fumble and have it returned for a touchdown.

REPLY: The comment that warrenkicker posted lies beneath the "where's the tee" play in the casebook. There, it specifically says to rule this as USC before the snap thereby precluding the play. Now, in actuality, if this play were unknown to the officials, they could honestly believe that the snap wasn't imminent as well and just waited to see what was going to happen. In that case, once the ball was snapped and they saw it was all a ruse, they would need to blow it dead. (Quick: What football fundamental would they be breaching in so doing?) But that seems the only fair way to do it. If you let the play go and call it USC, enforcement would be from the succeeding spot. Therefore anything that occurred during that play--including a possible TD by A--would stand.

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

If you let the play go and call it USC, enforcement would be from the succeeding spot. Therefore anything that occurred during that play--including a possible TD by A--would stand.

And that would defeat the purpose, so, yeah, shut 'er down.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

Quick: What football fundamental would they be breaching in so doing?

Would you be refering to the whistle killing the play?

And I agree - shut this down as soon as you realize what happened.

[simpson]

We had this discussion about the "Where's the tee?" play in pregame last week and I seem to recall our HL finding a Redding's ruling that says to shut it down.

So, since you don't know it's a play until the snap, you blow it dead as soon as they snap the ball and hit 'em w/ 15.

Did anyone else notice where the wingman was on the field? On video, when the man goes in motion he is backing up towards his sideline around the numbers. Inside the numbers puts him at least 9 yards on the field of play. He was backpedaling because of motion at the snap and then was never on his sideline for the long pass down the line. I always officiate from the sideline on Friday nights and work in on close yardage/goal line. Are any of you using the mechanics he used? If so, how far do you go onto the field before the snap? What's the benefit?