Illegal motion or shift?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by bisonlj

I'll give you an example. B45 gives A32 a small push after the ball is dead. A32 stumbles but doesn't fall down. There is nothing excessive or vicious about the contact.

Two different contexts:
(a) It's the first play of the game
(b) It's been a very chippy game and B45 is the primary instigator on several plays. You've already talked to him twice and have asked him stop contacting opponents after the ball is dead.

Same exact plays. Different context.

As a parent, I get what you're saying. Stop bugging your sister. Stop bugging your sister!!!! Then, at the slightest bugging of the sister, you're grounded.

As officials, we are not parents. If this non-excessive non-vicious contact is not a foul, it's not a foul. It may draw a warning, but it's not a foul the first time, the 3rd time, or the 10th time. If he's not fouling, why are you flagging this after a warning. Surely your warning isn't "Don't do that again". It should be something less specific like, "Cut it out" or "Watch it". It's not like the first 9 times were 1/10 of a foul each, so the 10th is a foul.

If the contact IS a foul, it's a foul on the first play and a foul on the last play.