"Traveling" Signal at snap

[tjones1]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Hand movements are not motion. Do you require all our receivers to keep their hands completely still before the snap (after the 1 second is fulfilled) - as in: no adjusting their glove, no swinging motion of the arms at their sides, no turning their heads toward the QB and back to the CB? Hopefully the answer is "of course not".

Then what is the definition of motion?

I agree with all of those. However, this is clear a deliberate act that is non-football.

[bigjohn]

From 2012 POE

ILLEGAL SHIFTS INVOLVING THE QUARTERBACK
As today’s offensive formations continue to become more complex, it must be stressed to all coaches and game
officials the need to eliminate illegal shifts involving the quarterback. Whenever any player on the offensive
team moves to a new position after the ready-for-play signal and before the snap, it is a shift (NFHS Football
Rule 2-39). Coaches and game officials must recognize that certain movements by quarterbacks must also be
penalized as illegal shifts.
There are several examples of movements by the quarterback that would be considered an illegal shift, such as
when all offensive players immediately get into their stance and then the quarterback receives the snap as soon

as he/she gets their hands under center. This is illegal because the quarterback needs to be set for one second
prior to the snap after the linemen going into stance as this is, in fact, a shift. An illegal-shift foul also occurs
when the quarterback first sends a player in motion and after the player is in motion, the quarterback then goes
under center to receive the snap.
When all other offensive players are set, movements by the quarterback, other than slightly moving a foot to
start another player in motion, must be followed by a pause of one second by everyone on the offense to be
considered a legal shift. If the offense is allowed to execute illegal shifts or other movements, teams will gain
an advantage not intended by the rules and will disrupt the desired balance between offense and defense.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by tjones1

Then what is the definition of motion?

I agree with all of those. However, this is clear a deliberate act that is non-football.

I would have to see this, but I do not think that is the intention of the rule. Players even on the LOS in the line move their heads around as they are often communicating blocking schemes or listening to a play call and it is not common to call a foul on those movements.

For all you know that signal might have been an indication of what route they were to run or combination. I have little problem with this based on what I am reading. It might have looked worse in person, but I cannot imagine just that signal alone drawing a flag from me. Maybe if it drew some reaction, but receivers often make signals to their teammates or to the wing trying to get lined up.

Peace