Trick play, middle school. Your take...

[Rock Chalk]

do they only have 6 on the los? Would you count the WR on the right (top) on the line? he's nearly 2 yards behind the los.

[mbyron]

This play was shown ad nauseam on SportsCenter tonight (Monday) as well as on the MNF pre-game show.

Nobody pointed out that it's illegal.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by mbyron

This play was shown ad nauseam on SportsCenter tonight (Monday) as well as on the MNF pre-game show.

As I was watching this "ad nauseum", I constantly thought, what would happen if a LB or safety absolutely cleaned this kids clock. I mean, the kid is so defenseless (good acting), but, how would mom and dad, coach, teammates, etc, react if this kid gets hammered? Legally. Not too funny then..... hypothetical of course.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by grunewar

As I was watching this "ad nauseum", I constantly thought, what would happen if a LB or safety absolutely cleaned this kids clock. I mean, the kid is so defenseless (good acting), but, how would mom and dad, coach, teammates, etc, react if this kid gets hammered? Legally. Not too funny then..... hypothetical of course.

I expect you'll have a chance to find out during your first peewee game next year, after the coaches have had a year to figure out how to run it and how to defend it. All without much thought to whether it's legal.

[bigjohn]

YouTube - Trick Play in football gone bad

Yeah, makes Coach look pretty stupid if it doesn't work!

[Cobra]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

YouTube - Trick Play in football gone bad

Yeah, makes Coach look pretty stupid if it doesn't work!

Looks like the officials actually change the ball after the down.

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by mbyron

I expect you'll have a chance to find out during your first peewee game next year, after the coaches have had a year to figure out how to run it and how to defend it. All without much thought to whether it's legal.

An example of why it's so important to ask, what seems like such a basic question, "Any unusual plays you're thinkg of using today, Coach". Of course there's really no defense against a coach who chooses not to answer, but hopefully some who might be considering this type play will bring it up providing you with the opportunity to explain why it will be illegal, and help avoid the coach from embarrassing himself.

[Eastshire]

The weird stuff is coming out of the woodwork this week. Receiver does handsprings while in motion

Any thoughts on the ejection?

[BuckeyeRef]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

The weird stuff is coming out of the woodwork this week. Receiver does handsprings while in motion

Any thoughts on the ejection?

I don't know why the player was ejected. The article mentioned a tinted visor while one of the comments referened the player saying something to the official.

As for the coach, watching the video it appears as if about the :40 mark one of the assistant coaches leans in and yells something at the wing official. The wing official then throws his flag and points at the assistant coach who is walking away. So the coach ejection may have been for two USC's on his sideline. Just guessing. But I certainly see the wing pointing at an assistant coach after his flag.

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by the head coach

I don't feel I deserved to be ejected

You're entitled to that opinion; however, your opinions on this matter are irrelevant.

I hate I got kicked out and it's only the second time it's ever happened in my head-coaching career (the other time was at Cherryville). We were at the 18-yard line. How many times are you going to make a two-point conversion from the 18?

I've seen 2 15+ yard 2 point conversions in games I've worked in 2010 alone, but I agree, it's not a high-percentage play. Perhaps that should've been taken into account by your players and/or coaches before committing whatever penalty caused you to be backed up 15 yards for the try?

We met with the officials before the game and they didn't say anything about trick plays. I was the one that brought it up.

This is why my white-hat always asks coaches in our pregame conference: "is there anything that you might do tonight, trick plays, unusual formations, etc, that we need to know about?"

I knew we were going to get flagged, but I decided to run the play anyway.

Ummm... what did you possibly hope to accomplish by running the play? If you knew the play was illegal (presumably because the officials told you so)... you've just basically admitted that your best-case scenario is a repeat of the try from the 33-yard line.

Looking back at it, obviously it wasn't a good decision. But if he had told me he was kicking me out of the game for it, I would have never ran it.

Watch the video coach. The White-hat throws the first USC flag for the handspringing player (probably actually calling it on the you for calling the play in the first place). Then a minute later, the wing official throws an USC flag on one of your coaches. Bam, two USC flags, enjoy the parking lot.

If you deliberately run a play that the officials have EXPLICITLY TOLD YOU IS ILLEGAL, you pretty much have to expect that the officials won't take kindly to you basically daring them to flag you for it.

I have no problems with ejecting the coach for this.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

The weird stuff is coming out of the woodwork this week. Receiver does handsprings while in motion

Any thoughts on the ejection?

This play happened in NC.

Under the NCHSAA Ejection Policy, "any delayed, excessive or prolonged act by which a player attempts to focus attention upon himself," (9-5-1c) is considered taunting/baiting and results in an ejection. That includes waving the ball at a defender on a TD run or diving into the end zone. The ejection carries a one game suspension.

The coach was also assessed a USC foul because he was told prior to the game that the play was illegal and chose to run it anyway. As he had already been flagged for a player wearing a tinted visor, he was ejected for two USC fouls.

Also, the coach told a friend of mine that runs a HS sports website that he was misquoted. He said had he known the player would have been ejected, he would not have run the play.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

The weird stuff is coming out of the woodwork this week. Receiver does handsprings while in motion

Any thoughts on the ejection?

This play happened in NC.

Under the NCHSAA Ejection Policy, "any delayed, excessive or prolonged act by which a player attempts to focus attention upon himself," (9-5-1c) is considered taunting/baiting and results in an ejection. That includes waving the ball at a defender on a TD run or diving into the end zone. The ejection carries a one game suspension.

The coach was also assessed a USC foul because he was told prior to the game that the play was illegal and chose to run it anyway. As he had already been flagged for a player wearing a tinted visor, he was ejected for two USC fouls.

Also, the coach told a friend of mine that runs a HS sports website that he was misquoted. He said had he known the player would have been ejected, he would not have run the play.

Either way, it's pretty stupid to run the play if you know it's going to draw a flag.

[csabatka1]

What about the illegal formation? Only 6 on the LOS. The wing and top WR are not on the LOS. The L touches the bill of his hat for 3 on the LOS on his side. LJ gives no signal.

[footballref]

What amazes me is the people that will still argue with me when I tell them

#1 - the definition of a legal snap. I think that the legality of the snap can be argued in this play.
#2 - To me what can't be argued is the case book scenario:

from the NFHS casebook - 9.9.1 SITUATION B: From a field goal formation, potential kicker A1 yells,
“Where’s the tee?” A2 replies, “I’ll go get it” and goes legally in motion toward
his team’s sideline. Ball is snapped to A1 who throws a touchdown pass to A2.

RULING: Unsportsmanlike conduct prior to snap. The ball should be declared
dead and the foul enforced as a dead-ball foul.

COMMENT: Football has been and
always will be a game of deception and trickery involving multiple shifts, unusual
formations and creative plays. However, actions or verbiage designed to confuse
the defense into believing there is problem and a snap isn’t imminent is
beyond the scope of sportsmanship and is illegal.

But because is it on the news and they say it is legal, then it HAS to be legal

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by footballref

But because is it on the news and they say it is legal, then it HAS to be legal

I listened very closely to the various ESPN incarnations of this video, and the closest I heard to a claim of legality was an ex-player asking, "That can't be legal, can it?"

The answer was: "the refs allowed it!"