False start or Illegal Shift?

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

To me, calling NCAA rules which are or may be a bit different than Fed in this area, I'm only going to call a live ball illegal shift if, say, 2 guys were shifting and one stops while the other stays in motion without stopping before and during the snap (may be other similar examples). However, if there is any movement toward the LOS by a player who wasn't already in motion (by himself) at the snap, we're shutting it down. We go over this in pregame as we believe it simulates the start of a play and fits under the false start category. In fact, I had this Saturday. One back starts to go in motion and the other one starts moving toward the line just before and during the snap. False start.

What if it's just part of a shift? If the motion isn't quick, jerky, or some other way simulating action at the snap (such as pretending to play the ball), or seems to have no reason to exist other than to draw the defense, the backs have the right to participate in a shift, which may include movement in any direction. It's not uncommon for team A to confuse team B by starting someone in motion in a way that that player might on many plays be in motion at the snap, and then have other players move, and then have everybody reset, completing a shift. I've seen it countless times by double wingbone or flexbone teams, where they motion the wingbacks or shift them into deep halfback position. That sort of action also used to be seen by teams using what they called a Canadian style multiple offense, where they'd get as close as they could to Canadian motion under USAn rules.

Robert