Fake Field goal Question

[ShockHawk22]

Was the fake fieldgoal a legal play? Shouldn’t it have been an illegal lineman down field? Or wasn’t the snapper (receiver) covered up? I love the play call but unsure about the gray area...

 

[99topdawg]

Here is a screen shot right before the snap (sorry about the quality). The punter, motion man, and two guys at the bottom are in the backfield. The other 7 are on the line. The snapper is the end man on the LOS, so he is legal.

 

[ShockHawk22]

Here is a screen shot right before the snap (sorry about the quality). The punter, motion man, and two guys at the bottom are in the backfield. The other 7 are on the line. The snapper is the end man on the LOS, so he is legal.

View attachment 2882

That’s a good picture of the play. Does illegal lineman downfield not apply here?

 

[The Big LeHAWKski]

I don't recall any team ever running out of this formation...it's fricking BRILLIANT!
However it's a one & done thing now that we showcased it.
Kudos BF!

 

[hawkfan2679]

This was old swinging gate/lonesome polecat formation. Understatement of the century but VERY unexpected. Didn't expect us to actually snap it.

 

[99topdawg]

That’s a good picture of the play. Does illegal lineman downfield not apply here?

Correct. The only lineman that went downfield was the snapper. Because he was at the end of the LOS, he is eligible to go out for a pass, just like a tight end or split end in a regular offensive formation.

 

[99topdawg]

This was old swinging gate/lonesome polecat formation. Understatement of the century but VERY unexpected. Didn't expect us to actually snap it.

You sound like you coach or have coached. I've coached HS for 21 years and we have to go over this every Thursday night, because you never know when someone's going to pull this out. Not sure I've seen it in college, though, or at least not very often.

 

[hawkfan2679]

You sound like you coach or have coached. I've coached HS for 21 years and we have to go over this every Thursday night, because you never know when someone's going to pull this out. Not sure I've seen it in college, though, or at least not very often.

Nailed it...coached at all levels since 2003 from youth thru HS.

Swinging gate/polecat is something you see a lot more on PATs and might be good for burning an opponent's timeout once every couple games. It's an oldie but a goodie (in moderation of course)!