Illegal motion or shift?

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Official

Ok I know I've got to be over thinking this. Help me out please.

Offensive players cannot move once they put their hands on the ground they are "married" to the ground.

Once an interior linemen places his hand on or near the ground, he can't lift it.

If a player is in motion at the snap he must be 5 yards behind the LOS.

No. If he's not a back and goes in motion, he must be at least 5 yards behind to LOS.

A player may not move perpendicular to the LOS (Wouldn't this be a false start and not IM though? How could you not blow a movement toward the LOS dead?

He can't be moving toward the LOS when the ball is snapped.

If a player in the backfield is set and shuffles a little to the left/right is this act legal?

Yes.

Is a player set if they are standing motionless and picking their nose?

There's no requirement that the player be motionless. He just has to be set and not making any movement that simulates action at the snap.

[Official]

thanks I truly appreciate it.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

If he's not a back and goes in motion, he must be at least 5 yards behind to LOS.

I think you have to substitute the word "is" for "goes" above. Consider a player who's set just barely in the backfield and goes in motion parallel to the LOS. Suppose that at the snap the closest OL to him has body parts closer to his team's end line than some of his own body parts. He may have been a back when he went in motion, but by getting near that player is no longer a back.

But I doubt any of you would give any more than a warning on this one. Seems if the player is already well along his way in motion, he's not going to confuse the defense as to whether he's on the line or in the backfield, so I think the spirit of the rule is served without att'n to that detail.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

I think you have to substitute the word "is" for "goes" above. Consider a player who's set just barely in the backfield and goes in motion parallel to the LOS. Suppose that at the snap the closest OL to him has body parts closer to his team's end line than some of his own body parts. He may have been a back when he went in motion, but by getting near that player is no longer a back.

That's not what the rule says. Here's (most of) 7-2-7:

Except for the player “under
the snapper,” as outlined in Article 3, the player in motion shall be at least 5 yards
behind his line of scrimmage at the snap if he started from any position not clearly
behind the line and did not establish himself as a back by stopping for at least
one full second while no part of his body is breaking the vertical plane through
the waistline of his nearest teammate who is on the line of scrimmage.

Nothing in the rules supports the imaginary idea that a back can lose his status as a back by going in motion. And if he's moving toward the NZ at the snap, he's still a back but the motion is illegal.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by mbyron

That's not what the rule says. Here's (most of) 7-2-7:

Except for the player “under
the snapper,” as outlined in Article 3, the player in motion shall be at least 5 yards
behind his line of scrimmage at the snap if he started from any position not clearly
behind the line and did not establish himself as a back by stopping for at least
one full second while no part of his body is breaking the vertical plane through
the waistline of his nearest teammate who is on the line of scrimmage.

Nothing in the rules supports the imaginary idea that a back can lose his status as a back by going in motion. And if he's moving toward the NZ at the snap, he's still a back but the motion is illegal.

Look at the definition of "offensive back" and tell me a player's status can't change depending on which teammate on the line of scrimmage he's closest to. Now tell me why if he's in motion he couldn't be closest to A1 when he started and A2 later.

[Official]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

There's no requirement that the player be motionless. He just has to be set and not making any movement that simulates action at the snap.

I found this...

After a huddle or shift all 11 players of A shall come to an absolute stop and shall remain stationary simultaneously without movement of hands, feet, head, or body for at least one second before the snap (7-2-6).

[Official]

bump

[bigjohn]

After a huddle or shift all 11 players of A shall come to an absolute stop and shall remain stationary simultaneously without movement of hands, feet, head, or body for at least one second before the snap (7-2-6).

You really think guys should call this as it is written?

No one calls it that way! LOL!!

I agree with you 100% BTW!

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

You really think guys should call this as it is written?

No one calls it that way! LOL!!

I agree with you 100% BTW!

Never worked in Ohio, but in Indiana, New Jersey both Upstate and Downstate NY, that's the way it's allways called.