Numbering Exception and Shotgun
 

Had an interesting variation on the A11:

Formation

86 77 65 77 63 84 81

35 23 7 32

63 is the snapper. #7 is the player in position to receive the snap. #7 is 5 yads behind the snapper.

Flagged this as an illegal formation they did not meet the numbering exception since #7 was only five yards deep and only four players were numbered between 50 and 79.

Coach's argument was they have run shotgun at 5 yards for 20 years. My retort is that it is not that the shotgun at 5 yards is illegal it is #84 who is not one of the five players between 50 and 79 and that the QB was not 7 yards deep. This did not compute.

Can anyone explain it better?

Well, I don't know of an official definition of "shotgun", but it doesn't meet the requirements for a "scrimmage kick formation" which is the only time the numbering exception applies. So if they aren't in SKF, they need 5 guys 50-79 on the line. I think the "shotgun" vs. scrimmage kick formation terminology may have led to the confusion.

The simplest explanation is: "Coach, by rule every offensive play must begin with 5 players on the line with numbers 50-79. You had 4."

If he brings up the SKF exception, explain why he hasn't met the conditions for SKF, so the exception doesn't apply.

Explanations are simpler when you start with the rule, not the exception. :)

You can't identify #84 as being the one to not meet the 50-79 requirement. There were others who are not numbered that way.

MByron has a good statement for the coach.

What he said. :)