Is d-line movement that draws a false start now called as offsides?

[VOLINVONORE]

If you are Tennessee and playing Bama.

 

[EastTNVol6240]

I’m huge on giving refs the benefit of the doubt. They are human and there are bad calls that go both ways in every game. Of course every base is bias and thinks the refs are “paid”. We have done if those silly threads here. BUT this call had me asking questions. Definitely a miss.

 

[S.C. OrangeMan]

That was one of the more confusing calls I saw last night. The UT d lineman flinched but didn't enter the neutral zone, the OL then jumped and we got called for offsides. What did I miss?

It's been that way for a while.
Same way as defensive disconcerting signals by the defense is a penalty. That's not the false start it's intended to provoke from the offense.

 

[volbound1700]

That was one of the more confusing calls I saw last night. The UT d lineman flinched but didn't enter the neutral zone, the OL then jumped and we got called for offsides. What did I miss?

Yeah, that was bad but refs made up for it with the no call late against James Pierce who clearly jumped a little early on that sack (it was close).

 

[GordonC]

Pearce looked like he left a little early on one and it wasn't called.

There were some head-scratchers that went both ways, and some of the plays looked out of synch, I thought more noticeable when they were on O.

 

[utvolpj]

It's been that way for a while.
Same way as defensive disconcerting signals by the defense is a penalty. That's not the false start it's intended to provoke from the offense.

That's simulating the snap and is a different call

 

[GordonC]

That's simulating the snap and is a different call

correct
I think it was simply a bad call

 

[ftsandersvol]

Saw that and wondered the same. Ga d- line does it almost every play but they move horizontally and don’t have it called.

Arkansas did that to us all night resulting in a few false starts.

That call last night was ridiculous.

 

[YankeeVol]

It was among quite a few bad calls last night.

 

[Vol524]

It's not illegal, and it's done primarily to confuse the blocking assignments of the offensive line as to their personnel and gap responsibilities with the secondary effect that it often causes the other teams to false start, particularly in a hostile road environment. I don't know why everyone doesn't do it.

I understand it isn't illegal. My point is, if the entire D line can move and cause an O lineman to flinch, how can one D player moving that never enters the neutral zone be offsides?

 

[Volfan76]

That was one of the more confusing calls I saw last night. The UT d lineman flinched but didn't enter the neutral zone, the OL then jumped and we got called for offsides. What did I miss?

Yes I wondered the same thing, but I also saw on multiple plays where a d line or one of our wr's lined up in the nuetral zone and it didn't get called so I call it a wash...coaches are going to have to get that cleaned up though or it could cost us big down the road.

 

[volnbama_]

It was a bad call. Although I think when pressed the officials will call it section 4.

Arkansas was a multiple offender of section 4 then

 

[wmcovol]

Those refs apparently love throwing flags. Both sides were called for stupid penalties.

That crew loves to call penalties.

 

[VolPack22]

Alabama had the same call go against them after ours was called against us.

 

[BleedingOrangeInChatt]

Then they missed blatantly obvious ones like Brazzell's face mask getting grabbed in the endzone on his td catch. If they'd overturned that catch and not called that penalty, it would have been completely game altering.

Oh I agree. It was like they wanted to call stupid small penalties all day and the bigger ones they let go.

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

If you are Tennessee and playing Bama.

Or if you're Tennessee playing Buffalo it goes the other way. Bills edge guy walked up and made the tackle flinch. They called it a false start on the Titans...

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

I understand it isn't illegal. My point is, if the entire D line can move and cause an O lineman to flinch, how can one D player moving that never enters the neutral zone be offsides?

It was a bad call. I agree.

 

[Sarms58]

I believe they have to enter the neutral zone. It didn’t look like that happened so it must have been a bad call. The defense can move freely.

 

[NetworkVol]

ARTICLE 2.
After the ball is ready for play, offside occurs (Rule 7-1-5) when a defensive player:

1. Is in or beyond the neutral zone when the ball is legally snapped;
2. Contacts an opponent beyond the neutral zone before the ball is snapped;
3. Contacts the ball before it is snapped;
4. Threatens an offensive lineman, causing an immediate reaction, before the ball is snapped (A.R. 7-1-3-V Note);
5. Crosses the neutral zone and charges toward a Team A back (A.R. 7-1-5-III); or
6. Is not behind his restraining line when the ball is legally free-kicked. Offside occurs when one or more players of the kicking team are not behind their restraining line when the ball is legally free-kicked (Exception: The kicker and holder are not offside when they are beyond their restraining line) (Rule 6-1-2).

Threatens an offensive lineman??? I'm assuming that doesn't mean verbally

 

[DC_Vol]

I screamed almost as loud over that call as I did on that bull**** 4th down spot or was it the chicken**** face mask call? Actually I think I screamed the loudest over the downfield "holding" call. Anyway, I have lost my voice screaming at SEC officials.

That 4th down spot was a dump truck load full of horse****.

 

[TennCan]

Other teams have been intentionally doing it to us all year and it has been a false start every time.

 

[Remy]

That was one of the more confusing calls I saw last night. The UT d lineman flinched but didn't enter the neutral zone, the OL then jumped and we got called for offsides. What did I miss?

I want to see UGA flagged every time their d line does their pee wee league shift from now on out.

 

[Redleg68]

That was one of the more confusing calls I saw last night. The UT d lineman flinched but didn't enter the neutral zone, the OL then jumped and we got called for offsides. What did I miss?

missed nothing, it was a trash call!

 

[Rockytopvol86]

ARTICLE 2.
After the ball is ready for play, offside occurs (Rule 7-1-5) when a defensive player:

1. Is in or beyond the neutral zone when the ball is legally snapped;
2. Contacts an opponent beyond the neutral zone before the ball is snapped;
3. Contacts the ball before it is snapped;
4. Threatens an offensive lineman, causing an immediate reaction, before the ball is snapped (A.R. 7-1-3-V Note);
5. Crosses the neutral zone and charges toward a Team A back (A.R. 7-1-5-III); or
6. Is not behind his restraining line when the ball is legally free-kicked. Offside occurs when one or more players of the kicking team are not behind their restraining line when the ball is legally free-kicked (Exception: The kicker and holder are not offside when they are beyond their restraining line) (Rule 6-1-2).

Section 4 then should apply to when the DL moves and causes a false start …

 

[ButchPlz]

Yeah, that was bad but refs made up for it with the no call late against James Pierce who clearly jumped a little early on that sack (it was close).

I posted the replay in another thread. The OT flinched first, which is who Pearce was keying on. It's very clear in the replay.

Watch from exactly 2:31:54. The OT flinches first, Pearce goes, OT starts moving all the way early. It's super clear that Pearce was keying on the OT. The idiot announcing crew and the "rules official" that chose to cover for Bama every single time apparently couldn't even see it in slowmo.