Slapping the Snap

[Blue37]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

I say slapping at the snap by the NG is USC, anyone agree?

No

[Welpe]

John, the unfair acts rule is not a catch-all for the "That don't look right" football play.

This is part of the Rule 2 definition of a rule:

A rule sometimes states what a player may do, but if there is no such statement for a given act (such as faking a kick), it is assumed that he may do what is not prohibited.

This is from an earlier post of mine it is not exactly the same topic but the idea is the same:

Originally Posted by Welpe

Football is all about deception and trickery. Hard snap counts, fake field goals, fake punts, free kicking directly from a huddle, going on first sound, going on 2, Dan Marino's fake spike and touch down pass...all of these are deceptive. So was the fumblerooski and when the Federation decided that it was too deceptive, it was specifically made illegal.

Bush League does not equal illegal...this is true in most sports, not just football.

[bigjohn]

By BUSH LEAGUE I mean unsporting! Notice it says examples but not limited to!

ART. 1 . . . No player shall act in an unsportsmanlike manner once the officials
assume authority for the contest. Examples are, but not limited to:
a. Baiting or taunting acts or words or insignia worn which engenders ill will.
NOTE: The NFHS disapproves of any form of taunting which is intended or designed
to embarrass, ridicule or demean others under any circumstances including on the
basis of race, religion, gender or national origin.
b. Using profanity, insulting or vulgar language or gestures.
c. Any delayed, excessive or prolonged act by which a player attempts to
focus attention upon himself.
d. Using disconcerting acts or words prior to the snap in an attempt to
interfere with A’s signals or movements.
e. Kicking at the ball, other than during a legal kick.
f. Leaving the field between downs to gain an advantage unless replaced or
unless with permission of an official.
g. Refusing to comply with an official’s request.
h. Using tobacco or smokeless tobacco.
ART. 2 . . . When the ball becomes dead in possession of a player, he shall not:
a. Intentionally kick the ball.
b. Spike the ball into the ground.
c. Throw the ball high into the air or from the field of play or end zone.
d. Intentionally fail to place the ball on the ground or immediately return it to
a nearby official.

[Welpe]

Good luck getting anybody to enforce it that way.

[Mike L]

John,
RR has made his pronouncement because he knows what the definition of a snap is. I suggest you review that.

[bigjohn]

I have.

NFHS Forum: Defense slapping at the snap

[Mike L]

You're really going to put the opinions of a bunch of unknowns up over Redding? I mean really?????
And explain just how someone has the reactions that are fast enough to slap the snap if it is done with the required quick and continuous backward motion. Plain and simple, they don't.

[bigjohn]

d. Using disconcerting acts or words prior to the snap in an attempt to
interfere with A’s signals or movements.

The slapping at the ball takes place before the snap and it is an attempt to interfere with A's movement, Cut and Dried USC!!!

[Mike L]

Go with that then. And good luck to you.

[Welpe]

John the sky is not blue.
John the sky is not blue.
John the sky is not blue.
John the sky is not blue.
John the sky is not blue.

Just because I keep saying it, doesn't make it true.

[bigjohn]

I looked out my window last night at 10:30pm, the sky was black!

[bigjohn]

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucapeaf/Svalbard/redsky.jpg

[Welpe]

I think we've got an honest to goodness contrarian on our hands here.

[bigjohn]

Glad you saw the humor in those posts Welpe!

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

RULING: The umpire must decide whether the snap was illegal or B72 encroached."

Umpires: Would your angle make it difficult for you to determine this?

A wing's distance (and the fact that we're sometimes screened by the end on our side) might make it difficult for us as well. Don't know.

I do agree that it would be, if not a one in a million, certainly a one in a thousand chance that you'd be able to do this and not encroach. Unless we get high-speed ump-cams and the ability to replay everything, I would think it's unlikely you'd be able to tell, so I'd say you would probably be fairly safe with an encroachment call.