Trick play ruled legal

[Bob M.]

REPLY: I agree with most. Very difficult to call this play illegal.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by whistleone

http://www.idahostatesman.com/104/story/59338.html

Click here to see the play If the video link does not work in the post, it's also available in the article link.

Illegal. Hand offs to a lineman must occur 1 yard off the LS.

[Warrenkicker]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Illegal. Hand offs to a lineman must occur 1 yard off the LS.

I understand you are talking Canadian rules here but please clarify your statement. If the lineman must be 1 yard off the LS where is the lineman in this video? As per NF rules he is at least 1 yard behind his line, or is he?

7-3-2
No player may hand the ball forward except during a scrimmage down before a change of possession, provided both players are in or behind the neutral zone and it is to:
a. A lineman who has clearly faced his goal line by moving both feet in a half-turn and is at least 1 yard behind his line when he receives the ball.
b. To a back or a teammate who, at the snap, was on an end of his line and was not the snapper nor adjacent to the snapper.

So in 7-3-2b the rules make a reference to "end of his line." They also use the term "behind his line" in 7-3-2a. Are they referencing the same thing in these two rules? Some may say that "his line" is the offensive side of the neutral zone, which is how I have interpreted it. However with the wording of 7-3-2b, "end of his line," I think they might be stating that "his line" is the group of linemen, which he is one of, in their presnap formation. Since the end of the line-of-scrimmage or neutral zone is at the sideline it is not logical that this player, standing at the sideline, is the only player allowed to be handed to. So if these two rules are in fact referencing the same "line" then the guard would have to turn around and also take one big step backward to meet these requirements to legally accept a forward handoff.