What are the typical "illegal formation" penalties about?

[Reverend Conehead]

Sometimes I'm surprised by illegal formation penalties. I know you're required to have linemen actually on the line. If you staggered an O-lineman back a few feet, it would be a penalty. If you actually put him in the backfield for some reason, it would also be a penalty, but that seems unlikely. The O-lineman is required to actually be on the line. However, I believe there's more too it than that, and it seems a little unlikely that a team would be boneheaded enough to have an O-lineman set off the line. What are the other requirements that a team commonly makes a mistake on, drawing this flag?

 

[Flamma]

When a WR on the outside isn't up on the line. That's ok when a TE is on that side. A penalty if he isn't.

 

[jazzcat22]

I think you need 7 players on the LOS. I believe though OL can be up to 1 yard back. They all do not have to be OL though, but not 100% sure on that.

So 5 OL, WR, TE, or 2 WR, TE, 4 OL, and one OL can be off the ball. Not sure on that one. But do need 7 on LOS.

 

[Creeper]

You must have 7 players on the LOS and eligible receivers covering both ends. You can line up offensive linemen on the ends but they must report as eligible receivers.

Other than that, the other 4 guys can line up anywhere as long as they are behind the 7 guys on the LOS.

I have to add that the 5 guys inside the two eligible receivers cannot be eligible receivers themselves.

And also, behind the line is subjective as we saw last year in the 49ers game.

 

[blueblood70]

Sometimes I'm surprised by illegal formation penalties. I know you're required to have linemen actually on the line. If you staggered an O-lineman back a few feet, it would be a penalty. If you actually put him in the backfield for some reason, it would also be a penalty, but that seems unlikely. The O-lineman is required to actually be on the line. However, I believe there's more too it than that, and it seems a little unlikely that a team would be boneheaded enough to have an O-lineman set off the line. What are the other requirements that a team commonly makes a mistake on, drawing this flag?

the tackles do it on their own creep back more to be better set back for the pass rush and its borderline illegal nearly every time as i notice how far they are set back against the fast better Pass rushers during those games and hardly get called for it but its the player trying to get an advantage not the coaches telling them to do so.. like holding try and hide it every play and at times get called. they are ok with the few they get called for because they are nearly holding every play and the refs aren't willing to stop play that much.. its just gamesmanship.

 

[Beaker42]

When a WR on the outside isn't up on the line. That's ok when a TE is on that side. A penalty if he isn't.

Flamma, I didn’t get to play football because my high school didn’t have it until 1996. Since then we’ve won 8 state titles and could’ve been 9 but the refs screwed us the game before title game. How many guys have to be lined up on LOS - 7??

 

[Flamma]

Flamma, I didn’t get to play football because my high school didn’t have it until 1996. Since then we’ve won 8 state titles and could’ve been 9 but the refs screwed us the game before title game. How many guys have to be lined up on LOS - 7??

Yes, 7. The 5 offensive lineman, and 1 on either side.

 

[JayFord]

Sometimes I'm surprised by illegal formation penalties. I know you're required to have linemen actually on the line. If you staggered an O-lineman back a few feet, it would be a penalty. If you actually put him in the backfield for some reason, it would also be a penalty, but that seems unlikely. The O-lineman is required to actually be on the line. However, I believe there's more too it than that, and it seems a little unlikely that a team would be boneheaded enough to have an O-lineman set off the line. What are the other requirements that a team commonly makes a mistake on, drawing this flag?

the biggest one is motion....ive been watching football for over 30 years and not being set before the snap because you motioned is still the biggest one....

Olineman being in the backfield should never happen the refs should give some leeway because your toes should lineup to the centers heels even a CM off and they legally can call illegal formation because thats the backfield

also wide receivers not being on the line is an issue, they may mix up their plays and lineup off the line thinking that a TE is supposed to be that 7th guy on the line

however receivers always check with officials and say "im off!" and the ref tells them scoot back or he say "im on!" and the ref tells him scoot up or the ref says hes fine, but if you dont check in and youre not lined up proper they wont hesitate to throw a flag for illegal formation

 

[noshame]

Can't cover the TE or he's ineligible.

 

[Creeper]

the tackles do it on their own creep back more to be better set back for the pass rush and its borderline illegal nearly every time as i notice how far they are set back against the fast better Pass rushers during those games and hardly get called for it but its the player trying to get an advantage not the coaches telling them to do so.. like holding try and hide it every play and at times get called. they are ok with the few they get called for because they are nearly holding every play and the refs aren't willing to stop play that much.. its just gamesmanship.

This is true and the refs are sometimes very flexible about it, I think too flexible. I remember one Flozell Adams was called for illegal formation because he lined up too far behind the center. The story then was the offensive linemen must be at least lined up with their helmets in front of the butt of the center. Players in the backfield have to be lined up with their helmets behind the butts of the center. But we see so often the OTs line up in almost a flying V formation.

To avoid confusion and also to just play by the rules, I think the refs should be more stringent about where players line up. The rules already favor the offenses in enough areas. At least give the defense a fair shake on the snap of the ball.

 

[Cowboys5217]

This rule is ancient, but its purpose was to eliminate mass-momentum plays which lead to a lot of injuries, even some fatalities.

 

[fivetwos]

Not the same thing, but does anyone else notice tackles starting a slight tick early in pass protection is allowed these days?

I got used to seeing a certain something for decades, and I find myself yelling ‘false start’ at the screen very often.

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed the same. Could be just me getting old and nutty.

 

[JustChip]

Not the same thing, but does anyone else notice tackles starting a slight tick early in pass protection is allowed these days?

I got used to seeing a certain something for decades, and I find myself yelling ‘false start’ at the screen very often.

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed the same. Could be just me getting old and nutty.

Yep. I believe it was Lane Johnson last year that did it quite a bit and was rarely, if ever, called. I don’t blame him. If I’m a player, I push the envelope as much as the officials let me. Just like kids and their parents.

 

[fivetwos]

Yep. I believe it was Lane Johnson last year that did it quite a bit and was rarely, if ever, called. I don’t blame him. If I’m a player, I push the envelope as much as the officials let me. Just like kids and their parents.

It was honestly many teams as I saw it, us included.

Maybe I’m crazy. Unsure these days, but way too often it looked as if at least one of the tackles moved early.

Maybe it’s my eyesight. Entirely possible. Why I asked.

 

[conner01]

the tackles do it on their own creep back more to be better set back for the pass rush and its borderline illegal nearly every time as i notice how far they are set back against the fast better Pass rushers during those games and hardly get called for it but its the player trying to get an advantage not the coaches telling them to do so.. like holding try and hide it every play and at times get called. they are ok with the few they get called for because they are nearly holding every play and the refs aren't willing to stop play that much.. its just gamesmanship.

Tackles get as deep as they can get away with
It’s all about getting any advantage you can

 

[JBS]

the biggest one is motion....ive been watching football for over 30 years and not being set before the snap because you motioned is still the biggest one....

Olineman being in the backfield should never happen the refs should give some leeway because your toes should lineup to the centers heels even a CM off and they legally can call illegal formation because thats the backfield

also wide receivers not being on the line is an issue, they may mix up their plays and lineup off the line thinking that a TE is supposed to be that 7th guy on the line

however receivers always check with officials and say "im off!" and the ref tells them scoot back or he say "im on!" and the ref tells him scoot up or the ref says hes fine, but if you dont check in and youre not lined up proper they wont hesitate to throw a flag for illegal formation

This guy nailed it w the motion penalty

 

[JD_KaPow]

Sometimes I'm surprised by illegal formation penalties. I know you're required to have linemen actually on the line. If you staggered an O-lineman back a few feet, it would be a penalty. If you actually put him in the backfield for some reason, it would also be a penalty, but that seems unlikely. The O-lineman is required to actually be on the line. However, I believe there's more too it than that, and it seems a little unlikely that a team would be boneheaded enough to have an O-lineman set off the line. What are the other requirements that a team commonly makes a mistake on, drawing this flag?

At the snap, you must have exactly 7 guys on the line of the scrimmage, no more and no fewer. The two on the ends are eligible receivers, the other 5 are ineligible. If you put a player with an ineligible number at the end of the line, you must declare him eligible or it's an illegal formation penalty.

If you have more than one WR/TE on one side of the line, one and only one of them must be on the line: the others must be behind it.

The most common illegal formation penalty is having 8 guys on the line, with a WR covering a TE or another WR on one side of the field. One of them screwed up by not stepping back enough.

On many plays, you can see the outside WR look to the sideline official and put his hand out to confirm that he's okay (not too far behind the line).

The OTs often line up a step or so back: the officials give some leeway, but you do see it called; it's the second-most common illegal formation penalty. My understanding is that they'll usually warn them before they start calling it.

 

[JustChip]

It was honestly many teams as I saw it, us included.

Maybe I’m crazy. Unsure these days, but way too often it looked as if at least one of the tackles moved early.

Maybe it’s my eyesight. Entirely possible. Why I asked.

Yeah, Johnson wasn’t the only. I think a lot of what affects whether it’s called or not is the specific officiating crew. Individuals and crews have inherent tendencies to favor certain infractions. The Thanksgiving Day game against the Raiders was a prime example if that. The Raiders recognized it and took advantage; the Cowboys didn’t.

 

[Jarntt]

Don't ask the refs from the SF playoff game this year. Apparently they didn't know the rule either...

 

[csirl]

however receivers always check with officials and say "im off!" and the ref tells them scoot back or he say "im on!" and the ref tells him scoot up or the ref says hes fine, but if you dont check in and youre not lined up proper they wont hesitate to throw a flag for illegal formation

Reminds me of my officiating days - did a lot of HL and LJ. We were told to tell the receivers where they were i.e on or off, not where they should be. We were not allowed to tell them where they should be - they were supposed to work it out themselves.

Some players never caught onto that if the official is shouting at you something is wrong!!!