"Sleeper" Play

[Robert Goodman]

This is a tough question because of the line-drawing problem. What if, for instance, they'd looked at the opposite sideline instead of the one their bench was on?

A blanket rule against making the other team think the ball isn't about to be put in play obviously can't be taken literally, because then it would outlaw the snap count, which is premised on fooling the defense as to when the ball is to be put in play. It would also outlaw various forms of quick play where the bulk of team A is at some remove from the ball when it's snapped. What distinguishes a play like this one from those is that it appears team A is ready, and then they show you something that suggests they're going to need a little extra time. But you get that same effect when for the previous half hour they've been snapping the ball when a man in motion is in a certain place, and then they snap the ball before he gets to that place.

I'm afraid the only way to resolve this is to get very specific rules or rulings in advance that make very specific actions legal or illegal, and that list would start out long & keep growing. Clearly it's part of the game of football (and of some other sports) to allow the team controlling the play of the ball to catch the opponents sleeping, and to use various means to induce them to be off guard, but also to not allow them to use certain other means to induce them to be off guard. Fed has already entered dangerous territory in their rules writing regarding team A's verbal or other action to induce team B to encroach -- which, taken literally, outlaws the snap count.