Article: HS Trick play
 

Schooled, Fooled and Fueled
Douglass Rallies Despite Late Arrival After SAT, Forestville Trickery

By Ryan Mink
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, October 15, 2006; E11

Douglass wasn't in game mood when the team bus arrived at Forestville High 10 minutes before kickoff yesterday. The SATs took longer than expected, and the Eagles were trying to refocus on football.

But once backup quarterback David Samuel returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the Eagles were ready. When Forestville responded on its first snap from scrimmage with a trick play, the Eagles were angry.

Less than a minute into the game, No. 20 Douglass had all the fire it needed for a 36-18 win.

"It was like, 'Wow, we're in a ballgame,' " Douglass Coach J.C. Pinkney said. "I hadn't quite seen anything like that."

After the 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Forestville's sideline was stunned. But following a touchback, the Knights came to the line and quarterback Kevin Dickerson took a casual snap that went around the center's leg, not in between. As none of his blockers moved, Dickerson stood up seemingly confused and started walking nonchalantly to the sidelines while holding up the ball, yelling he had a kicking ball, not a regular game ball. Douglass's defense took the bait.

As soon as Forestville Coach Charles Harley subtly pointed up the field, Dickerson took off.

"Once I got to the opening I realized there was no one around me," Dickerson said. "In my mind I was like, 'You've got to be joking. I can't believe this is actually working' because right before the play started I said, 'I'm really not feeling this play.' "

Pinkney protested, but Harley had run it by the referees before the game to make sure it was legal.

"I had a feeling he had something up his sleeve, but not in my wildest would I think of something like that," Pinkney said.

The play didn't come from Harley but instead from one of his former players, current Penn State tackle Antonio Logan-El. Logan-El called Harley in the early hours Friday night with news that Penn State was going to use the trick play against Michigan last night and that Forestville should be the guinea pig. So as Douglass's players were still taking the SATs, Forestville (3-3) practiced the play before the game.

It couldn't have worked any better, except for one thing: The trickery made the Eagles (5-1) want to win that much more.

"How are you going to score on a trick play?" Douglass running back Jerrell Wedge said. "It angered me so much I wanted to hurt someone out there."

Wedge went on to rush for 236 yards, including 202 in the first half, and three touchdowns to lead a dominant rushing attack.

No. 20 Douglass 36, Forestville 18 Turnover Prone: The Eagles had to overcome two fumbles and an interception in the first half. They turned to the sure-handed Jerrell Wedge on a key final drive of the half to gain a 23-12 halftime lead on his four-yard touchdown plunge. Long Gains: Forestville thrived on the big play, scoring on the 80-yard trick play, a 74-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Dickerson to Devonte Campbell and a 45-yard pass from Dickerson to Christopher Wormley.

Here's the worst part of the story:

"Pinkney protested, but Harley had run it by the referees before the game to make sure it was legal."

Is there anyone on this board that is confused by this? This play is illegal. It is not a "trick play," it is unsportsmanlike behavior. Deception makes the defense think the snap is not imminent and is a USC on the Head Coach. And, yes, you shut the play down at the snap.

This crew needs to get back into the rule book?

See, I'm not totally convinced this is illegal. (Nor am I convince that it is legal.) The usual "wrong ball" or "where's the tee" play involves deception before the snap to make players think the snap is not imminent. On this play, we have actually had a legal snap. In the <a href="http://forum.officiating.com/showthread.php?t=28491">last discussion we had on this topic</a>, it was (at least mostly) consensus that after the snap, deceptive calls by the offense were OK.

Personally, I think this sort of crap shouldn't be allowed. But, by rule, is it?

I'm thinking the "This is the wrong ball" when it's not the wrong ball gives us the out we need, whether or not it's after the snap.

If they run it by my crew in pregame, I'm going to chime in that we're not going to let them do it (of course, the final call is the white hat's, isn't it?).

God, I've had enough problems tonight, I don't need to see something like this with only two games left to work this season.

What would be the rule refererence for making this illegal?

commisioner of that group stated

Forestville vs. Douglas in the paper the six official were wrong. Rule
9.9.3 page 78 case book At no time may a team use verbige to deceive.

9.9.3 page 78 case book At no time may a team use verbige to deceive.

Yeah, but that is not what it says. It finishes with the comment "a snap isn't imminent..." What we have in this play is a legal snap 2.39 and a live ball 2.1.2 and a defense who is asleep.

9-9-3 is the God rule. One example of it's usage is the "where's the tee" play. If you want to use it on this play then use it. Be ready to explain yourself. Hopefully your higher-ups will support your usage of it.

Does it let you hit a 1-iron?

That is a classic unsportsmanlike foul for a trick play.
The 'verbage' deal is the reason.
It may not spell it out in the case book word for word--but it's just like the 'wrong tee' play. We as officials have to apply similar situations to make the correct calls. This one is easy.
It's all in what the players/coaches say. You are deceiving the defense making them think you aren't going to run the play.
We had one a few years ago --when a player was called off the field by a coach and as he was 'trotting off' --the ball was snapped -and he took off down field to catch a pass. We flagged it for USC.....cause of the verbage.
Same thing as the 'wrong ball'. The defense cannot be put in that situation where they are under the impression you aren't going to run a play--and then you fly down the field w/ the ball.
There's basically no legit 'trick play' that is legal -- like the one on this thread --or ball hidden under a jersey - on fumblerooskie etc. The coaches need to focus on basics and not illegal plays.

REPLY: I understand Roamin's point that the snap (if you call it that) had already occurred. But here's the problem as I see it. Once there appears to be confusion and the play isn't developing because the QB is walking around holding up the 'wrong ball,' what do you do? What do you do if a LB comes in and takes his head off with a 'snot-knocker' of a tackle? You've allowed the QB to be unprotected. You'll get all kinds of grief that he had the wrong ball and was just making an 'honest' attempt to get things sorted out. Just because the case book makes that comment about the 'snap is not imminent' isn't (in my mind) enough to say that only that specific type of play should be ruled USC.

This play doesn't pass the 'stink test'. This isn't a fake hand off, it's using verbiage to deceive. Flag it.

Let's be careful here. "Using verbiage to deceive" is not illegal.

Using verbiage to deceive the defense into believing a snap is not imminent is illegal.

The USC described in the initial play is not illegal under THIS rule. It's illegal, basically, under the God rule, and via direct instruction from the NCAA and FED that they do not want the "wrong ball" or "Where's the tee" plays to be legal.

We cannot throw this one under the blanket of "using verbiage to deceive" is illegal. Players use verbiage all the time to deceive. Faking an audible to thwart an apparent blitz. Varying the snapcount. Even a receiver acting injured to draw his coverage elsewhere, or a QB telling a WR to go long when he doesn't go long, is not illegal.

I've had a difficult time thinking about what I would do on this play, One part says that you kill it and flag USC on Team A, also you have to let it go (no foul kills the play), we had a legal snap... but if you do let it go and they score, then your looking at enforcing the USC on the try, in essence allowing A to score using an illegal tactic.