Football 101: 7 Men on the Line Of Scrimmage

[daschoo]

i'm a big fan of these. as someone who has been watching the sport for less than a year i'm certainly learning (while impressing myself with how much i have already picked up)

 

[FLCowboyFan]

great football school. I'd love to see more of these. I learned some things in this post and my knowledge of the game is better for it.

 

[cowboyfreak]

Someone forward this thread to #76 on the Titans.

:laugh1: :laugh1: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[Iago33]

What's the rule on what "on the line of scrimmage means." For example, the tackles begin to creep back to help with speed rushers (this was called last night). Sometimes the tackles are as far back as the WR or TE who is "off." How far off the line of scrimmage can you be and still be considered ON it?

 

[AdamJT13]

To the best of my knowledge it is always 7, never 8. If someone knows differently and can post a rule I would be open minded to it, but I don't think so.

Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1

The offensive team must have:

(a) seven or more players on its line at the snap.

(b) all players who are not on line, other than the snap receiver under center, must be at least 1-yard behind it at snap.

 

[bounce]

I played Z in HS football, and was penalized for this one game, because I didn't step up to cover the T after the TE went in motion. This rule was never explained by our coaches at all, and I still got lit into for it.

 

[Hostile]

Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1

The offensive team must have:

(a) seven or more players on its line at the snap.

(b) all players who are not on line, other than the snap receiver under center, must be at least 1-yard behind it at snap.

That is news to me. Thank you for the clarification.

 

[jubal]

What is up with PAT formations?
They look like horse shoes.

 

[Rogah]

Here's some interesting tidbits about this rule...

There's no rule that says the linemen have to be in the middle of the field. For example, you can have the center snap the ball, with the right guard, right tackle and a TE/WR split out way to the right, and the left guard, left tackle, and TE/WR split out way to the left.

The center doesn't have to snap the ball through his legs. The "swinging gate" type of snap is perfectly legal, which is essentially a lateral. The only requirement is the ball must start on the ground.

The guy who snaps the ball doesn't have to be the center. For example, you can have all the lineman on the right side of the guy snapping the ball (although there does have to be at least 1 eligible receiver on the line to the left covering the guy doing the snap).

 

[TNCowboy]

Someone forward this thread to #76 on the Titans.

Yeah, those were critical. I think the Titans had that called 3 times on them last night. Especially on one 3rd down where they got a 15 or so yard gain, and wound up having to punt instead after the illegal formation.

 

[jubal]

Do me a research on rules of Drop Kick!
Saw a extra point kicked the other day and announcers made mention of it and let it go.Haven't heard of that type kick since Jim Thorpe days.
Might be something Folk or Beeler could do from 50 or 60 yd.s out instead of punt.

 

[Iago33]

Yeah, those were critical. I think the Titans had that called 3 times on them last night. Especially on one 3rd down where they got a 15 or so yard gain, and wound up having to punt instead after the illegal formation.

I'd really like to hear how far off the ball a tackle can be because some teams really make their line a V and get away with it and some don't.

 

[AdamJT13]

I'd really like to hear how far off the ball a tackle can be because some teams really make their line a V and get away with it and some don't.

Rule 3, Section 18, Article 2 --

A Player of Team A is on his line:

(a) when his shoulders face Team B’s goal line, and

(b) if he is the snapper, no part of his body is beyond the line at the snap,

(c) if he is a non-snapper, he is not more than one foot behind the neutral zone at the snap. (For a non-snapper to be on the line of scrimmage, the guideline officials will use is that his helmet must break a vertical plane that would pass through the beltline of the snapper.)