This Baloney Must Stop

I've had a complaint about college football for several years, and just kept quiet about it, then this year, I've gotten so sick of it I'm going public :-)



The "illegal procedure" penalty, or "motion" penalty is ridiculous. There are so many of these, it is killing the game. And what is happening? An Olineman wiggles his behind, sways a bit, lifts his head, flexes--it doesn't matter, any little movement and the refs throw the flag, stop play, and the offense is moved back five yards. Often times, the flag is thrown before the entire offense is even setup for the play. It's ridiculous.



It is no advantage to the offense if some lineman wiggles, flexes or almost moves forward or backward. Why stop play? it just kills the action, stupidly penalizes the offense, stops play, and all for an infraction that is incredibly absurd. I'm not talking about some guy launching himself across the line of scrimmage ahead of the snap, I'm talking about some guy just flexing or wiggling his butt a little. This is so silly.



The defense can jump, even go offsides (if hey get back before the snap), move, jump, all kinds of stuff, but if an Olineman twitches, he gets a flag. My real complaint is this is a stupid penalty that should not be called. Holding? clipping? personal fouls? pass interference? Yes, they all are necessary to make the game fair and safe, but these little leans, wiggles, flexes, and waggles harm no one and gives no one an unfair advantage. It's time to kill this stupid rule, get rid of it forever, and let the boys play football.

I agree. I also hate how the real spelling of bologna is weird.

bball wrote:
The defense can jump, even go offsides (if hey get back before the snap), move, jump, all kinds of stuff, but if an Olineman twitches, he gets a flag.

If a DL jumps into the neutral zone and the OL flinches, the penalty is a 5 yard neutral zone violation on the DL.



The rules I don't like are:

1. Interference not being a spot foul

2. Clock stopping on incomplete passes at any other time than the last two minutes of the half (clock should run upon the ref spotting the ball except the last two minutes of the half).

ProV1 wrote:
I agree. I also hate how the real spelling of bologna is weird.

hahaha never thought about it but your right spelling bologna that way. That is weird a :utard: must have came up with the spelling for it.

ProV1 wrote:
I agree. I also hate how the real spelling of bologna is weird.

I also hate how the word "weird" is spelled. Isn't the rule: ""I" before "E" except after "C"??? There's no "C" in "weird." In't that "weird?" LOL!!! Going to bed.

;)

The rule is fine. It's the officials enforcement that is at issue. OL should have to remain relatively still since many players react to the ball being snapped or the guy across from them moving. What needs to happen more is officials need to whistle defenders more for crossing the neutral zone and causing the movement on the offense.



It still happens way to frequently that a defender will jump across, the OL flinch and you get a false start. Sometimes the defense won't cross into the neutral zone and the OL will still flinch, but because there was no neutral zone infraction, it's a false start.



Like many rules in football, a more consistent enforcement by officials would really remedy many of these things.



If officials called it more on the defense, the defense would quickly stop this and giving the offense 5 free yards. This would cause the disruptions in the game to lessen and the flow to remain more steady.

As a former O-lineman I have no problem with being required to be completely set before the snap. Even if it gets crazy loud and you can't hear the QB there are ways to manage that. I do agree with what has been said about the D and the neutral zone, and also would include D-lineman barking out fake snap counts like the Air Force does consistently. I guess It's kind of tough concentrating on the snap count when you see a linebacker heading right for the gap you are responsible for. But then again I've always had a problem with focusing on more than one thing at a time. Like chewing gum and walking :blush:



Go Cougs!



L Hatton

Louisville, KY

It's not the being completely set that I have a problem with, it's that fact that if the offense even wiggles its little finger, it's a 5 yd penalty. Eliminate the rule, or change it. If an Olineman is in a three point stance and he flinches, he can still hold still for one second, and there should be no penalty for that. But that is not the way the rule is interpreted today, if the lineman goes down into his stanch and he sneezes, it's a 5 yd penalty--even if the rest of the offense has not gotten set yet. This is ridiculous, and it just disrupts the game, play after play after play. Eliminate the rule and have the rule be that as long as the entire offense is set for one second prior to the snap, there is no penalty, even if the an Olineman wiggles his behind, and the center shakes his head, and the WR moves his back foot a few inches. There is no advantage any of these guys get by doing this insignificant movement. Let the guys play!!

Remember the first year Bronco was DC? The first few games he had the D so amped up that they'd go flying across the line of scrimmage at the slightest movement by the O. There was lots of pointing by the BYU D when the yellow flags flew, but I don't recall a single one going against the opposition O.



Eventually he realized they weren't going to get the calls and he dialed it back.



I see plenty of movement by O linemen without flags. I see lots of flags when the O line makes a "football move" or a North/South move. However, my survey is completely unscientific.

Mingjai wrote:

The defense can jump, even go offsides (if hey get back before the snap), move, jump, all kinds of stuff, but if an Olineman twitches, he gets a flag.

If a DL jumps into the neutral zone and the OL flinches, the penalty is a 5 yard neutral zone violation on the DL.



The rules I don't like are:

1. Interference not being a spot foul

2. Clock stopping on incomplete passes at any other time than the last two minutes of the half (clock should run upon the ref spotting the ball except the last two minutes of the half).

I completely disagree on #1. It is too big of an advantage to the offense. I actually like the college rule on this, and would like to see the pros go back to spot foul or 15 yards whichever is shorter.



A couple pro rules that I would like to see in college:



1. Player must be downed by contact.

2. Two feet in bounds for a catch.



I really wish college would adopt the first one, but I guess I can go either way on the second.

stuckinbig10country wrote:

1. Interference not being a spot foul

I completely disagree on #1. It is too big of an advantage to the offense. I actually like the college rule on this, and would like to see the pros go back to spot foul or 15 yards whichever is shorter.

Maybe I'm wrong, but at the pro level where the DBs are a lot smarter and more athletic, you'd see a lot more intentional 15 yard pass interference penalties taken to avoid 30+ long gains. If I were a college coach leading by 4 or more in a Hail Mary situation, I'd instruct my DBs when in doubt, tackle the receiver in the end zone. Heck, if PI were only a 15 yard penalty, I bet teams would defend the Vick to DeSean Jackson play by simply tackling Jackson as he ran by--it would be the "Hack a Shaq" defense for the NFL!



I agree on the two feet in bounds and down by contact though.

I've got one for you all that MUST CHANGE!!! This one takes the CAKE!



The rule that I can't stand is CELEBRATION! HOW rediculious! Change the rule to TAUNTING! Anything that goes agaist another team (Tennessee's QB #8 slashing the throat after an OT TD--not called) should be flagged and penalized. That's a waste of time to see 15 replays (Locker UW flip over the shoulder) and have the referees decide it's too much celebration. (I didn't see the game where the player saluted the fans and was penalized) The referees get caught up too much in the hype and they just need to calm down and let the players and fans HAVE A BLAST!



Celebrating with your team and heck...even your fans should be allowed. Saluting your fans, pointing at your fans, back flips, leaping into the endzone, and sharpies...should all be allowed. (ok...maybe not sharpies) but taunting should be dissalowed.



Just my 2 cents!