The Fowler offsides call. Was this a legal play?

[nathanlt]

Fowler was an idiot on that play plain and simple. Everyone knew what Philly was doing there is no way Fowler can be that jumpy in that situation.

You mean that Philly is allowed to false start, without penalty??? I don't agree with that. Fowler was reacting the lineman's head snap. Which is NOT allowed by the rules, copied below.

It is a False Start if the ball has been placed ready for play, and, prior to the snap, an offensive player who has assumed a set position charges or moves in such a way as to simulate the start of a play, or if an offensive player who is in motion makes a sudden movement toward the line of scrimmage. Any quick abrupt movement by a single offensive player, or by several offensive players in unison, which simulates the start of the snap, is a false start.

Exception: This does not apply to an offensive player under the center who turns his head or shoulders, unless the movement is an obvious attempt to draw an opponent offside.

 

[nathanlt]

I was yelling at my tv watch the ball dont jump. Then he jumps i swear the god i wanted to smash my remote. Threw out a few mfs. Coaches should be yelling the same thing i domt understand. This is like high school basics here

Don't know why you are mad at Fowler, when the offensive lineman committed a false start, pure and simple.

 

[Sydla]

You mean that Philly is allowed to false start, without penalty??? I don't agree with that. Fowler was reacting the lineman's head snap. Which is NOT allowed by the rules, copied below.

It is a False Start if the ball has been placed ready for play, and, prior to the snap, an offensive player who has assumed a set position charges or moves in such a way as to simulate the start of a play, or if an offensive player who is in motion makes a sudden movement toward the line of scrimmage. Any quick abrupt movement by a single offensive player, or by several offensive players in unison, which simulates the start of the snap, is a false start.

Exception: This does not apply to an offensive player under the center who turns his head or shoulders, unless the movement is an obvious attempt to draw an opponent offside.

Watch games this weekend and you will see OL turn their heads right before a snap and it not be called a false start. A head turn to look at a blocker isn't consider a simulated start to the play.

 

[MarcusRock]

No talk of refs for weeks on end and now a loss brings up those CONSPIRACY! conversations all over again. Coincidence? I think not! LOL.

 

[nathanlt]

Watch games this weekend and you will see OL turn their heads right before a snap and it not be called a false start. A head turn to look at a blocker isn't consider a simulated start to the play.

The rule was in the post you replied to. here it is again...

It is a False Start if the ball has been placed ready for play, and, prior to the snap, an offensive player who has assumed a set position charges or moves in such a way as to simulate the start of a play, or if an offensive player who is in motion makes a sudden movement toward the line of scrimmage. Any quick abrupt movement by a single offensive player, or by several offensive players in unison, which simulates the start of the snap, is a false start.


The refs should call it, according the rule book... especially if the defensive player reacts to the offensive line false start. But then again, these refs are not enforcing what they should. I'm not saying Dallas would have won, but it was a significant result the following play, as we've seen.

 

[MarcusRock]

You mean that Philly is allowed to false start, without penalty??? I don't agree with that. Fowler was reacting the lineman's head snap. Which is NOT allowed by the rules, copied below.

It is a False Start if the ball has been placed ready for play, and, prior to the snap, an offensive player who has assumed a set position charges or moves in such a way as to simulate the start of a play, or if an offensive player who is in motion makes a sudden movement toward the line of scrimmage. Any quick abrupt movement by a single offensive player, or by several offensive players in unison, which simulates the start of the snap, is a false start.

Exception: This does not apply to an offensive player under the center who turns his head or shoulders, unless the movement is an obvious attempt to draw an opponent offside.

Lol. Cool interpretation, bro but turning your head is not something that "simulates the start of the snap." Think of what an OL does when the snap happens and there's your answer. Lifting up out of your stance or charging forward simulates the snap. It's why a QB can't throw his hands forward in shotgun on a hard count like the ball is coming because it "simulates the start of the snap." On the OL you even see some take one of their arms and punch forward just before the snap as some kind of silent count and it's never called. So turning your head ain't one of those things.

 

[SuperBowlz]

He was off sides as the rules are written, but the rules suck as they are written.

IMHO, Unless the defender makes contact with an offensive player, they shouldn't be allowed to move AT ALL once set.
I don't even like all the pre snap head bobbing and arm pointing they get anyway with nowadays. And a OG can signal the C to snap the ball with a wave or tap? I think it's garbage.

Nah, they made the rule because players like Neil Smith would twitch at OLineman over and over to make them move. It's a smart rule

 

[Ranched]

Fowler's a mess with penalties. He dragged them w/him after leaving college!

In his career, Fowler has had 30 penalties accepted against him in the regular season, costing his teams 237 yards since he entered the league in 2016. (Aug 22, 2022)

 

[Hennessy_King]

Don't know why you are mad at Fowler, when the offensive lineman committed a false start, pure and simple.

WATCH THE FREAKIN BALL

 

[Hennessy_King]

I think he was defending his gap

Or he could have attacked the outside shoulder of the o lineman squeezing while keeping gap integrity

 

[mrmojo]

No question. What Fowler did should never happen and everyone should recognize when they are just trying to make them jump. I was talking more in general. It was a situation and a rule that was fine like it was for 100 years and didn’t need fixing. OL cannot move because they know the snap count and it would simulate the start of the play. That would be like a balk in baseball. DL could always jump offsides and get back before the snap. No harm no foul. They don’t know the snap count and as long as they didn’t make contact or weren’t unabated to the QB, no penalty and there were absolutely no issues. It didn’t need fixing at all. There is no reason an OL five feet away should be able to just stand up, point, and draw a penalty.

That was the rule for years, dont know why they changed it... but Fowler should have known better....and the Eagle coach cocky reaction didnt help

 

[nathanlt]

WATCH THE FREAKIN BALL

As long as the refs watch for false starts as well... I'm good with it.

But I get your point...
Yes, a player should watch the ball. The refs shouldn't call an offensive penalty on the defense, either.

 

[mahoneybill]

Great coaching. Malotta quickly moves his head as the motion man move in sequence. So it was planned and it worked. Fowler was not watching the ball but the OL. When the TE/OL went in motion the OL in front of him snap his head and the rest is explained in the video.

agree it was planned. The eagles coach jumped up and down celebrating on the sidelines

way to animated

 

[Hennessy_King]

agree it was planned. The eagles coach jumped up and down celebrating on the sidelines

way to animated

He couldnt believe a player would be dumb enough to fall for it

 

[Hennessy_King]

As long as the refs watch for false starts as well... I'm good with it.

But I get your point...
Yes, a player should watch the ball. The refs shouldn't call an offensive penalty on the defense, either.

You dont rely on the refs to make a call

 

[rambo2]

I said in the past. That could mean 1 game, 2 games, 5 games, an entire previous season. Are you denying this team had serious issues with penalties last year under the same coaching staff?

You originally said this team which isn't a team from the past and this team only has 2 losses. You don't think that they have good coaches?

 

[nathanlt]

You dont rely on the refs to make a call

Sometimes the refs impose their will on the game.... sometimes they impose their incompetence on the game.

 

[Sydla]

The rule was in the post you replied to. here it is again...

It is a False Start if the ball has been placed ready for play, and, prior to the snap, an offensive player who has assumed a set position charges or moves in such a way as to simulate the start of a play, or if an offensive player who is in motion makes a sudden movement toward the line of scrimmage. Any quick abrupt movement by a single offensive player, or by several offensive players in unison, which simulates the start of the snap, is a false start.


The refs should call it, according the rule book... especially if the defensive player reacts to the offensive line false start. But then again, these refs are not enforcing what they should. I'm not saying Dallas would have won, but it was a significant result the following play, as we've seen.

Turning one’s head doesn’t fit any of the descriptions above. It’s not a movement to the LOS. It’s not a sudden movement simulating a play.

It’s not called across the league so whining about it now is bizarre……. But oh so Cowboys fan.

 

[nathanlt]

Turning one’s head doesn’t fit any of the descriptions above. It’s not a movement to the LOS. It’s not a sudden movement simulating a play.

It’s not called across the league so whining about it now is bizarre……. But oh so Cowboys fan.

Any quick abrupt movement by a single offensive player,

 

[Bullflop]

Lining up in the neutral zone is something that should easily be avoided. Defensive players should be well aware of how they line up, first and foremost. If they fail to see where their body lines up relative to the ball, they're in violation of the neutral zone. An experienced d-lineman like Fowler should be fully aware of it. It's very basic.