How about this??

[Mike L]

It's not a shift. It's highly questionable as to false start. It would have to be some pretty outrageous hand movement for me to call it, especially at the 8-10 year old level. Let the little guys play, let their coaches know this is potentially a problem, and move along.

[ljd5521]

I would NEVER call this at this level......heck I wasn't even officiating this game and did not see the action. I was just going from what "Coach" told me.

By the way he described it, it sounded like you had two guys (The QB and the HB) that were both back there moving around and acting like Peyton Manning. That sounded like a problem.

I guess, though, what is to stop them from snapping to the HB, So why penalize at any level. Definitely if looked like and was a problem, at this level for certain, preventative officiating would come in to play.....

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by ljd5521

I would NEVER call this at this level......heck I wasn't even officiating this game and did not see the action. I was just going from what "Coach" told me.

By the way he described it, it sounded like you had two guys (The QB and the HB) that were both back there moving around and acting like Peyton Manning. That sounded like a problem.

How does Peyton Manning act?

I guess, though, what is to stop them from snapping to the HB, So why penalize at any level. Definitely if looked like and was a problem, at this level for certain, preventative officiating would come in to play.....

You think it's a problem because it disguises who the ball is going to? I don't see that sort of deception as unfair at all. It's common in some versions of single wing formation for the ostensible blocking back to keep his inside arm extended palm up, threatening to take the snap, and it's not uncommon in youth teams for the fullback and tailback to have their hands extended too, so you could have 3 players threatening to take the snap.

I think the only problem is faking, "Snap is coming now." That's what makes it a false start: someone's feigning taking the snap at this moment, not multiple players merely threatening to take the snap whenever it comes. Like Bob Davis's head & shoulder fakes.

Robert

[BktBallRef]

There's no rule that requires all 11 players to remain absolutely motionless after they are set.

When I was coaching 6-man ball, I had a formation that looked like a box, 3 guys on the line (per rule) and 3 backs lined up 5 yards deep, aligned straight behind each lineman. Each of the backs would have their hands up to receive the snap, and the center would snap it to whoever was supposed to initiate the play, i.e. clear pass before crossing the line of scrimmage. Never had a problem until one official said it was illegal for all 3 to have their hands up as a deception method. I was like, huh? Rule cite? He said it wasn't an actual rule, but he felt it was unsportsmanlike conduct because we were doing it to deceive the defense. I called the state the following Monday about it, and they were like what??? Amazing what some white hats will come up with.