Legal?

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

2009 casebook

ADVANTAGE GAINED ILLEGALLY
9.4.3 SITUATION E: (a) End A1 goes 5 yards downfield and stops. Wide receiver
A2 jumps on his back and catches a pass; or (b) B1 steps on the back of snapper
A1 immediately after the snap as he propels himself into the air to block a
punt; or (c) B1 jumps on B2’s shoulders in an effort to block a field-goal attempt.
RULING: A personal foul in (a), (b) and (c). In all cases, an advantage has been
gained illegally.

Since I can't see the video, I have to ask whether the player who blocked the kick appeared to propel himself into the air off the snapper's back (using the contact to gain or maintain altitude), or stepped on his back in an effort to get past him. The first would fit case (b) above, but the second would not be any of those cases. In other words, was the snapper's presence an advantage to the defender, or would he have been just as well (or better) off to have been able to plant that foot on the ground?

Robert