Legal or Illegal Motion

[Forksref]

Originally Posted by Ed Hickland

I seem to recall reading an interpretation of this play. Does anyone recall seeing it?

Team A comes set. A21 goes in motion across the field. As he passes the QB, the QB gives a foot tap.

Legal or illegal?

I know we allow the heel lift to start motion, but in this case the player is already in motion when the foot is moved. This would be an illegal shift since all 11 players are not set for a second AFTER the shift (foot moving) of the QB.

[bisonlj]

I posed a similar question last year. The difference was I had the QB standing when the receiver went in motion, the QB went under center, was set for at least a second and the ball was snapped while the receiver was still in motion. I argued this was an illegal shift (I even had an exact case to back me up), but I was blasted for being too anal on the rule and let it go. I no longer worry about it.

[JugglingReferee]

Wow..... this has raised my "huh"-level of US football to a new level. Forget about micro-managing the athletes every little body move and let them play!

[MJT]

I'm not going to have anything on that little movement. I know "by the letter of the rule" it is a IS at the snap but that it not the intent of the rule. JMHO.

[MD Longhorn]

Unless this foot tap had some effect on the defense, let it go. I've seen a shotgun snap with a man in motion that was prompted by the foot tap quite often - the tap being the signal to the center to snap it in about a second.

[grantsrc]

Dont' go looking for the fly poop in the pepper. Let this go.