Referee moving defenders

[BuggBob]

During a PAT (or any time actually) , why will the referee appear to request a defender to move to one side or the other? I saw this last night on Sunday Night Football.

[APG]

The official will do this to prevent the defense from lining up over the snapper...which would be an illegal formation penalty on the defense. Under NFL rules, on any scrimmage kick, a player who is within one yard of the line of scrimmage must have his entire body outside the snapper's shoulder pads at the snap.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by APG

The official will do this to prevent the defense from lining up over the snapper...which would be an illegal formation penalty on the defense. Under NFL rules, on any scrimmage kick, a player who is within one yard of the line of scrimmage must have his entire body outside the snapper's shoulder pads at the snap.

Unfortunately, I had a HS varsity coach believe this was a rule on Friday night. Sigh.

[Suudy]

Originally Posted by Rich

Unfortunately, I had a HS varsity coach believe this was a rule on Friday night. Sigh.

I haven't heard that one before. We get the usual "No contact after 5 yards!" or "But I was outside the pocket!".

[Canned Heat]

Originally Posted by Rich

Unfortunately, I had a HS varsity coach believe this was a rule on Friday night. Sigh.

"He was lined up over our center!!!....How do you guys not see that??"

I often wonder who takes the test for these guys.

[Suudy]

Originally Posted by Canned Heat

"He was lined up over our center!!!....How do you guys not see that??"

I often wonder who takes the test for these guys.

A test for the coach! Hah! IIRC, only the head coach has to take the clinic, and the clinic is so basic that it doesn't help with this.

And regardless, for us it is usually some assistant yelling for a Saturday or Sunday call.

[Canned Heat]

Originally Posted by Suudy

A test for the coach! Hah! IIRC, only the head coach has to take the clinic, and the clinic is so basic that it doesn't help with this.

And regardless, for us it is usually some assistant yelling for a Saturday or Sunday call.

__________________________________________________ _______________

HC requirement here.....I sometimes swear they give them a free pass or a test from the mid-90's.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

Unfortunately, I had a HS varsity coach believe this was a rule on Friday night. Sigh.

We had a coach on Friday think that any contact with the snapper was illegal. Or that the snapper could keep his head down and he was given protection. Just another day and another dollar I guess.

Peace

[Canned Heat]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

We had a coach on Friday think that any contact with the snapper was illegal. Or that the snapper could keep his head down and he was given protection. Just another day and another dollar I guess.

Peace

Speaking of which....if I had a dollar for every time I heard "they hit our center"....I'd literally be sitting with an umbrella laden cocktail on a beach.

[zm1283]

I think this had more to do with too many players lining up on one side of the center than a player actually being on the center. I saw this flagged a couple weeks ago in an NFL game. The defense had about seven players on the offense's right side during a FG try. I didn't know that rule but that's how the announcer's explained it. They could be very wrong of course.