Surely there is a metaphor in this absolutely brilliant maneuver by a middle school football team in South Texas (where else but Texas?) Maybe we all need to learn to do the unexpected, to look with a different vision at the usual way we do things, then walk across the opposing line and run like hell to the finish! Wouldnt that shake things up?!!!
Bad sportsmanship? I can understand some reservations, but I don’t think so. Kids love this stuff.
Was it legal? I do think so. The snap has to be backwards and a continuous “quick” motion. All linemen and backfield were in proper stance/position. The quarterback was still behind the center, and the exchange was continuous and probably just quick enough IMO to be legal–it’s not rare for normal snaps at this level to be as relatively slow as this exchange.
That said, if I were the parent of the opposing team, I don’t think I’d appreciate my kid learning the hard way that not only will his opposing peers try to trick you (perfectly fair to know and deal with), but that other coaches and adults will purposely lie to you and are not to be listened to (the coach started the ruse by yelling to his QB to walk off 5 yards that the refs missed). In other words, better to let the coach teach a few trick plays for the kids to try themselves without relying on active adult participation and deception in the play.
We used to do a drill (I played center) where as soon as the center moved the ball, even the slightest, the noseguard would try to slap it away. It improved the speed of both (and the hand-eye coordination of the noseguard). If the opposing center was slow, our NG frequently slapped the ball away and we recovered the fumble. We always made sure the referees knew that we were moving on the slightest ball movement (per the rules) and they agreed. I have seen a few versions of this play on youtube – it’s a coaching failure to not teach the defense that if the ball moves, the play is live.
Sorry to rain on everyone’s parade that thinks this is just wonderful, but it is also illegal on 2 points and merely shows a failure to correctly rule by the officials covering the game.
#5
per the defintion of a snap, it need not be between the legs like you typically see, but it must be quick and a continuous backward motion. This snap fails on both points.
I won’t even get into how the interaction between the coach and the QB should’ve generated an unsportsmanlike penalty call.
The Official NCAA Rules are thus:
SECTION 23. Snapping the Ball
ARTICLE 1. a. Legally snapping the ball (a snap) is handing or passing
it backward from its position on the ground with a quick and continuous
motion of the hand or hands, the ball actually leaving the hand or hands in
this motion (Rule 4-1-4).
b. The snap starts when the ball is moved legally and ends when the ball
leaves the snapper’s hands (A.R. 7-1-5-I-II).
c. If, during any backward motion of a legal snap, the ball slips from
the snapper’s hand, it becomes a backward pass and is in play (Rule
4-1-1).
d. While resting on the ground and before the snap, the long axis of the ball
must be at right angles to the scrimmage line (Rule 7-1-3-a-1).
e. Unless moved in a backward direction, the movement of the ball does
not start a legal snap. It is not a legal snap if the ball is first moved
forward or lifted.
f. If the ball is touched by Team B during a legal snap, the ball remains
dead and Team B is penalized. If the ball is touched by Team B during
an illegal snap, the ball remains dead and Team A is penalized (A.R.
7-1-5-I-II).
g. The snap need not be between the snapper’s legs; but to be legal, it must
be a quick and continuous backward motion.
h. The ball must be snapped on or between the inbounds lines.
i. The position of the ball at the snap (Rule 9-1-2-e) refers to an imaginary
line through the ball parallel to the sidelines from end line to end line
(A.R. 9-1-2-III-IX).
The ball never left the hand of the snapper into the air, thus it was illegal.
No. 8: I have never interpreted the portion of the rule that states “the ball actually leaving the hand or hands in this motion. . .” or the reference in 1.b. to “leaves the snapper’s hands” as requiring that the ball in flight between the center and the QB. In most snaps when the QB is up under center, the ball is passed directly into the QB’s hands. The rule requires only that the vector of the ball be rearward from the line of scrimmage. If there was a problem with this snap it would have to be that the direction of the ball was forward or vertical (1.e), not that the ball did not become airborne. In any event, trick plays like this are immense fun. They only can work once and usually only at early levels of play. I pity the next guy to try this, especially with You Tube having broadcast the event to thousands of young athletes down to the middle school level.
Sports are group activities in which the players agree to be bound by arbitrary rules in order to achieve the lusory goal of achieving excellence (and winning) within the letter and spirit of the rules. I realize some games include, as part of the culture of the sport, ways to remain true to the lusory goal even by breaking the rules (basketball, e.g., intentional fouls to stop the clock).
But, this particular trick play relies on the deception that the QB has stopped playing the game. The rules of football are obviously designed to make clear who is playing (number of players on the field), and when they are playing (game clock). I therefore consider this trick play unethical.
#9
This play is in Texas which uses NCAA rules rather than NFHS rules
#11
You are mostly correct, which is why the “play” should have been stopped under the Unfair Acts rule. Interpretation under both codes holds any action or verbiage designed to make it appear the ball is not going to be snapped is an unfair act and is to be penalized 15 yds as an unsportsmanlike act.
The officials failed to stop it under either rule violation, so now with the video going viral, I’m sure we will have to deal with some confused coaches next year on why we will not be allowing such shenanigans.
No. 12: the very next time anyone anywhere in the country tries this, the center and the QB will be creamed in a nano-second. I’m sure every coach in the country has shown this to his guys, or, alternatively, they’ve seen it at home. If anyone ever wants to try this again, they’ll have to give it a rest for the next two or three decades.
Surely there is a metaphor in this absolutely brilliant maneuver by a middle school football team in South Texas (where else but Texas?) Maybe we all need to learn to do the unexpected, to look with a different vision at the usual way we do things, then walk across the opposing line and run like hell to the finish! Wouldnt that shake things up?!!!
Bad sportsmanship? I can understand some reservations, but I don’t think so. Kids love this stuff.
Was it legal? I do think so. The snap has to be backwards and a continuous “quick” motion. All linemen and backfield were in proper stance/position. The quarterback was still behind the center, and the exchange was continuous and probably just quick enough IMO to be legal–it’s not rare for normal snaps at this level to be as relatively slow as this exchange.
That said, if I were the parent of the opposing team, I don’t think I’d appreciate my kid learning the hard way that not only will his opposing peers try to trick you (perfectly fair to know and deal with), but that other coaches and adults will purposely lie to you and are not to be listened to (the coach started the ruse by yelling to his QB to walk off 5 yards that the refs missed). In other words, better to let the coach teach a few trick plays for the kids to try themselves without relying on active adult participation and deception in the play.
We used to do a drill (I played center) where as soon as the center moved the ball, even the slightest, the noseguard would try to slap it away. It improved the speed of both (and the hand-eye coordination of the noseguard). If the opposing center was slow, our NG frequently slapped the ball away and we recovered the fumble. We always made sure the referees knew that we were moving on the slightest ball movement (per the rules) and they agreed. I have seen a few versions of this play on youtube – it’s a coaching failure to not teach the defense that if the ball moves, the play is live.
My high school once ran the old “the quarterback has to tie his shoe” play. That’s the kind of thing that only works once.
On a rival team this play is called “Schori up the middle”. They use it often.
Is it a legitimate “snap” to hand the ball up and off to one side?
Sorry to rain on everyone’s parade that thinks this is just wonderful, but it is also illegal on 2 points and merely shows a failure to correctly rule by the officials covering the game.
#5
per the defintion of a snap, it need not be between the legs like you typically see, but it must be quick and a continuous backward motion. This snap fails on both points.
I won’t even get into how the interaction between the coach and the QB should’ve generated an unsportsmanlike penalty call.
The Official NCAA Rules are thus:
SECTION 23. Snapping the Ball
ARTICLE 1. a. Legally snapping the ball (a snap) is handing or passing
it backward from its position on the ground with a quick and continuous
motion of the hand or hands, the ball actually leaving the hand or hands in
this motion (Rule 4-1-4).
b. The snap starts when the ball is moved legally and ends when the ball
leaves the snapper’s hands (A.R. 7-1-5-I-II).
c. If, during any backward motion of a legal snap, the ball slips from
the snapper’s hand, it becomes a backward pass and is in play (Rule
4-1-1).
d. While resting on the ground and before the snap, the long axis of the ball
must be at right angles to the scrimmage line (Rule 7-1-3-a-1).
e. Unless moved in a backward direction, the movement of the ball does
not start a legal snap. It is not a legal snap if the ball is first moved
forward or lifted.
f. If the ball is touched by Team B during a legal snap, the ball remains
dead and Team B is penalized. If the ball is touched by Team B during
an illegal snap, the ball remains dead and Team A is penalized (A.R.
7-1-5-I-II).
g. The snap need not be between the snapper’s legs; but to be legal, it must
be a quick and continuous backward motion.
h. The ball must be snapped on or between the inbounds lines.
i. The position of the ball at the snap (Rule 9-1-2-e) refers to an imaginary
line through the ball parallel to the sidelines from end line to end line
(A.R. 9-1-2-III-IX).
The ball never left the hand of the snapper into the air, thus it was illegal.
#8, those are NCAA rules. The rules may be different in middle school.
No. 8: I have never interpreted the portion of the rule that states “the ball actually leaving the hand or hands in this motion. . .” or the reference in 1.b. to “leaves the snapper’s hands” as requiring that the ball in flight between the center and the QB. In most snaps when the QB is up under center, the ball is passed directly into the QB’s hands. The rule requires only that the vector of the ball be rearward from the line of scrimmage. If there was a problem with this snap it would have to be that the direction of the ball was forward or vertical (1.e), not that the ball did not become airborne. In any event, trick plays like this are immense fun. They only can work once and usually only at early levels of play. I pity the next guy to try this, especially with You Tube having broadcast the event to thousands of young athletes down to the middle school level.
Sports are group activities in which the players agree to be bound by arbitrary rules in order to achieve the lusory goal of achieving excellence (and winning) within the letter and spirit of the rules. I realize some games include, as part of the culture of the sport, ways to remain true to the lusory goal even by breaking the rules (basketball, e.g., intentional fouls to stop the clock).
But, this particular trick play relies on the deception that the QB has stopped playing the game. The rules of football are obviously designed to make clear who is playing (number of players on the field), and when they are playing (game clock). I therefore consider this trick play unethical.
#9
This play is in Texas which uses NCAA rules rather than NFHS rules
#11
You are mostly correct, which is why the “play” should have been stopped under the Unfair Acts rule. Interpretation under both codes holds any action or verbiage designed to make it appear the ball is not going to be snapped is an unfair act and is to be penalized 15 yds as an unsportsmanlike act.
The officials failed to stop it under either rule violation, so now with the video going viral, I’m sure we will have to deal with some confused coaches next year on why we will not be allowing such shenanigans.
No. 12: the very next time anyone anywhere in the country tries this, the center and the QB will be creamed in a nano-second. I’m sure every coach in the country has shown this to his guys, or, alternatively, they’ve seen it at home. If anyone ever wants to try this again, they’ll have to give it a rest for the next two or three decades.