Trick Play "Wrong Ball"

[Stansfield]

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wkA3nxuMJoM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="never" width="425" height="344" ></embed> Is it legal?

 

[tcb.sixpack]

Illegal snap, I'd have to guess.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Nice.</p>

 

[Arkitekt Dawg]

The refs blows the whistle to start the play.... center snaps it to the quarter back... nothing in the rules says that people actually have to start running across the line when a ball is snapped...

It worked for them! Good find!

 

[Maroon Eagle]

[No message]

 

[tossedoff]

Who knew Hank Flick had other PA duties elsewhere?

 

[TDAWG.sixpack]

We ran that **** in high school. It worked one time, the first time.

 

[MSU CS 2004]

Dead ball foul. Unsportsmanlike conduct. 15 yard penalty.

Officials should have blown it dead the second he started running.

NFHS Case Book. 9.9.3 SITUATION B COMMENT: "Football has been and
always will be a game of deception and trickery involving multiple
shifts, unusual formations and creative plays. However, actions or
verbiage designed to confuse the defense into believing there is a
problem and a snap isn't imminent is beyond the scope of sportsmanship
and is illegal."

 

[MSUCE99]

NFHS Case Book. 9.9.3 SITUATION B COMMENT: <span style="text-decoration:underline">"Football has been and always will be a game of deception and trickery involving multiple shifts, unusual formations and creative plays.</span> However, actions or verbiage designed to confuse the defense into believing there is a problem and a snap isn't imminent is beyond the scope of sportsmanship and is illegal."

Damn that man Crooms! Those other teams, with their cunning "trick plays" were doing it the right way all along! AAAaaaaarrrrggggg!!!

 

[TheHorrorTheHorror]

ran something similar to this a couple of years ago with peyton walking to the sideline & the direct snap going to the RB.
scored a touchdown, but was called back on a penalty that i dont remember...

 

[JohnDawg]

Peyton starts yelling at a receiver to get on or off the line of scrimmage and starts flailing his arms at him in disgust and starts walking over to him and the ball is directly snapped to the RB. Great play.

Also, USM ran a similar play a few years ago. Jeff Bower going batshit crazy for a receiver to get off the field and right when he gets to the sideline he takes off down the field, wide open TD. Great play.

 

[MSU CS 2004]

may be different. So I guess I should amend my response.

Most youth leagues and high school leagues in the country use NFHS rules. If this game took place in Texas or Massachusetts, it may be under NCAA rules. I'm not sure what the NCAA interpretation of this play would be. I know the play you described with the Colts was run by the Memphis Tigers earlier this year, and was allowed.

So this game may be under NCAA rules, and this play may be completely legal. It all depends on what the rules committee interprets as an "unfair act."

 

[MSU CS 2004]

Also, USM ran a similar play a few years ago. Jeff Bower going batshit crazy for a receiver to get off the field and right when he gets to the sideline he takes off down the field, wide open TD. Great play.

That play is definitely illegal under NCAA rules now. Can't say for certain about when the play took place, though.

Rule 9-2-2-b. No simulated replacements or substitutions may be used to confuse
opponents. No tactic associated with substitutes or the substitution
process may be used to confuse opponents (Rule 3-5-2-e) (A.R. 9-2-2-I-
VII).
PENALTY-Live-ball foul. 15 yards from the previous spot [S27].
Flagrant offenders shall be disqualified [S47].

I wonder what the difference between a flagrant offender and a non-flagrant offender is.

 

[JohnDawg]

maybe 8 to 10 years ago? </p>

 

[TheCosmoKramer]

The "actions or verbiage" must be "designed to confuse the defense into believing ... a snap isn't imminent." Here, the snap had already taken place, and the actions were designed to make the defense think the play was not live. So, no foul under that rule.

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