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3 general football questions

By jhartshorn
10/23/2016 2:48 am
which came into my head after watching alabama match last night:

1 - a player was deemed to have made a catch despite only planting ONE foot inside pitch. yet I thought the skill was to plant both - is that a difference between nfl and college?

2 - can the offense choose where to start the scrimmage ACROSS the pitch - anywhere between both hash marks? do they have to be ON one set of them or can they be in centre?

3 - what happens if a defense cause a 5yd penalty before the snap (due to false start let's say) and the scrimmage is on their own 2 yard line? Assume they don't automatically concede a TD?!

thanks in advance!

Re: 3 general football questions

By ke1thcle4ver
10/23/2016 2:53 am
1 - In college, you only need 1 foot to be in bounds, not 2

2 - not sure on this one

3 - I believe (although I'm not 100% sure) that the refs just back the LOS up to "half the distance", so in your example, they would move the LOS back to the 1yd line.

Do bear in mind though, that College has some different rules (as shown in Q1) than NFL Level football.

This link might help you out in that regard: http://www.gridironwest.com/resources/the-differences-between-ncaa-and-nfl-rules
Last edited at 10/23/2016 6:28 am

Re: 3 general football questions

By Bryson10
10/23/2016 2:58 am
2. the refs mark the ball in between the hashes where the play ended. If you are brought down outside of the hashmark it is brought in and placed at the hashmark closest. You get to pick which hashmark you would like when you are kicking the xpoint but on a normal fg or play the ball is set where the player was tackled. College hashmarks are wider apart than nfl as well. THere are many different rules from college to pros.
Last edited at 10/23/2016 2:59 am

Re: 3 general football questions

By jhartshorn
10/23/2016 5:50 am
ah didn't realise that. I assumed they had free choice. thanks guys

Re: 3 general football questions

By raymattison21
10/23/2016 8:49 am
3) Defense does not get false starts. If they are on the line of scrimmage when the ball is snaped its a neutral zone infraction. Crossing that line by any defender would be an offsides infraction. All of this doesnt matter until the ball is snapped.

A false start happens when an offensive guy moves his feet prior to the snap. (Or tries to simulate the snap) QB's are notorious for trying to draw defenders offsides.

Really there are offensive strageties that move alot of players presnap to draw defenders offsides or confuse defensive assignments. But, they the players that can move presnap are guided by a set of rules that allow for the formations you generally see in every game.

I think only one player in side the Tackles is allowed to shift at one time. While the players lined up outside the Tackles can shift at the same time and noone on offense is allowed to be moving at the time of the snap.

Another is you have to have two eligable recievers that line up on the line of scrimmage on every play. Every other eligable reciever cannot line up on the line of scrimmage. Only seven of the eleven are allowed to due that.

Any penalty that cannot be enforced completly will be half the distance, but the penalty rules are even different if that infraction happens in the endzone.

If a DB get a pass interference call in his dzone. It is not half the distance. The ball is placed at the goaline.

A hold by an offensive player in his own endzone is a safety.

And alot of other crazy rules. If you kick the ball on the ground like a soccer ball to advance a fumble that a penalty.


Re: 3 general football questions

By jhartshorn
10/23/2016 9:52 am
one very easy but important question to follow this up:

could someone state very simply the procedures/timings before each play with regards to the offense/defense

they both huddle up then what????

my guess:

defense subs ready for what they think is needed IF THEY HAVE TIME

offense come out of huddle and line up for their chosen play

defense tweak and move according to the set up play

qb sees defense change so makes some last minute calls?

who though decides: right that's enough moving and tweaking let's play?

all very basic but still not sure

Re: 3 general football questions

By raymattison21
10/23/2016 10:06 am
jhartshorn wrote:
one very easy but important question to follow this up:

could someone state very simply the procedures/timings before each play with regards to the offense/defense

they both huddle up then what????

Well, the play called is most likely a call form the offensive coordinator, based off what other assistants are seeing from high up in the "booth" where they have a birds eye veiw and alot of electonics help

my guess: very good one!

defense subs ready for what they think is needed IF THEY HAVE TIME

offense come out of huddle and line up for their chosen play

defense tweak and move according to the set up play

qb sees defense change so makes some last minute calls?

who though decides: right that's enough moving and tweaking let's play?

I would say the QB or the time left on the playclock. The time allowed between plays to select another and snap it.

all very basic but still not sure

Re: 3 general football questions

By jhartshorn
10/23/2016 10:29 am
didn't think I would be correct -
so both re tweak their positions after initial line up

Re: 3 general football questions

By ibblacklavender02
10/23/2016 10:36 am
jhartshorn wrote:
didn't think I would be correct -
so both re tweak their positions after initial line up


It's a lot that happens and it's really hard to tell but for the most part ...Yes both teams are trying to out think the other or flat out trick the other by showing one play and doing something different....

As far as "who though decides: right that's enough moving and tweaking let's play?"

The play clock or the offense....The offense can snap the ball whenever they want (as long as they give the defense reasonable time to sub)

Re: 3 general football questions

By jhartshorn
10/23/2016 10:51 am
thanks
watching this game in England - need about ten pairs of eyes!
great game!