FS on field goal

[sloth]

Michigan vs. Va Tech - false start on winning kick All State Sugar Bowl 2012 - YouTube

I'm not a fan of either teams (but I do have the misfortune of working with some Michigan fans) but wonder if anyone for flag a kicker for a FS? I white hat on Friday nights and have flaged running backs for doing this, but would have a real hard time hitting a kicker for the same thing.

Thoughts from the hive?

[APG]

False Start or Illegal Motion on Kicker ? (video)

[Rich]

On a high school field, I would call this.

On a college field, I'd do whatever the supervisor wanted me to do here. Absent guidance, I'd call this.

Of course, there's a chance that the R simply missed this. I know I'm counting linemen and focusing on pre-snap movement there, as well and the kicker isn't in my periphery the same was a back is during a typical scrimmage down.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by sloth

Michigan vs. Va Tech - false start on winning kick All State Sugar Bowl 2012 - YouTube

I'm not a fan of either teams (but I do have the misfortune of working with some Michigan fans) but wonder if anyone for flag a kicker for a FS? I white hat on Friday nights and have flaged running backs for doing this, but would have a real hard time hitting a kicker for the same thing.

Looks like illegal motion, though it's not an advantage for the place kicker. However, if you have such a hard time, what would you think about a punter's starting forward before the snap? That looks just as much against the letter of the law, but also an unfair advantage.

[CT1]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Of course, there's a chance that the R simply missed this. I know I'm counting linemen and focusing on pre-snap movement there, as well and the kicker isn't in my periphery the same was a back is during a typical scrimmage down.

Maybe you're not wide and/or deep enough.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by CT1

Maybe you're not wide and/or deep enough.

No, I'm at the numbers or outside (depending on the placement of the ball) and usually 5 yards behind the kicker.

I'm saying my eyes may not be there at the exact second the FS happened.

It's likely, though, that I'd catch this in my periphery. It's clearly a FS, so I'm just speculating why it wasn't called. For those who say it doesn't affect anything, what if the defense hesitates its rush because of the actions of the kicker? I'd flag it every time.