This issue has been addressed previously, but like a bad penny it seems we’re unable to get rid of it. Had a coach contact me to ask my opinion on a play they use on 4th and less than 5 to try to make the defense encroach. They line up in punt formation, and then their linemen shift quickly from a 2 pt. to a 3 pt. stance. Here’s a video that demonstrates the technique:
Lest there be any lingering doubt, this is a foul for a false start. Here’s what the rulebook says:
“After the ball is ready for play and before the snap begins, no false start shall be made by any A player. It is a false start if:
a. A shift or feigned charge simulates action at the snap.
b. Any act is clearly intended to cause B to encroach.”
The key to the proper ruling on this and similar plays is the speed at which the linemen go from their 2 pt. to the 3 pt. stance. Such an abrupt motion when the players are already set, “simulates action at the snap,” and is a foul. Of course, it is legal to shift while in punt formation, provided it is done in a deliberate fashion, and isn’t going to make anyone think that the play is starting.
You still see this, and similar plays, with some frequency … because they work sometimes. If the play works, it’s because of an officiating mistake. And please don’t complain that it’s impossible to judge what Team A “intended.” Officials are asked to determine intent from a player’s actions all the time, e.g., intentional grounding. The bottom line is, this play is a foul by the offense in all of its many variations, because it is designed to produce a defensive encroachment foul. I just wish every officiating crew would get on board with this interpretation, since that is the only way to make this illegal tactic disappear.
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Bobref
This issue has been addressed previously, but like a bad penny it seems we’re unable to get rid of it. Had a coach contact me to ask my opinion on a play they use on 4th and less than 5 to try to make the defense encroach. They line up in punt formation, and then their linemen shift quickly from a 2 pt. to a 3 pt. stance. Here’s a video that demonstrates the technique:
Lest there be any lingering doubt, this is a foul for a false start. Here’s what the rulebook says:
“After the ball is ready for play and before the snap begins, no false start shall be made by any A player. It is a false start if:
a. A shift or feigned charge simulates action at the snap.
b. Any act is clearly intended to cause B to encroach.”
The key to the proper ruling on this and similar plays is the speed at which the linemen go from their 2 pt. to the 3 pt. stance. Such an abrupt motion when the players are already set, “simulates action at the snap,” and is a foul. Of course, it is legal to shift while in punt formation, provided it is done in a deliberate fashion, and isn’t going to make anyone think that the play is starting.
You still see this, and similar plays, with some frequency … because they work sometimes. If the play works, it’s because of an officiating mistake. And please don’t complain that it’s impossible to judge what Team A “intended.” Officials are asked to determine intent from a player’s actions all the time, e.g., intentional grounding. The bottom line is, this play is a foul by the offense in all of its many variations, because it is designed to produce a defensive encroachment foul. I just wish every officiating crew would get on board with this interpretation, since that is the only way to make this illegal tactic disappear.
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