Ask the Official: Motion and shift rules are governed by movement, not vocal commands

By Bill LeMonnier | Posted 8/20/2015

USA Football Rules Editor Bill LeMonnier is a former college referee who currently serves as an ESPN NCAA rules analyst. Click here to ask Bill a question. Make sure to put “Ask the Official” in the subject line.

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I coach Jr. Peewee and got called a few times last year for an illegal shift or illegal motion when I sent a wing back in motion on “Set.” I have my line go to three-point stance on “set” and don't use a leg signal for motion. I never get called sending a wide flanker in motion using “set,” but when the slot back is where the tight end would be – but off the line – I was told that the rest of the line had to be set before he could go in motion. Is that correct?

To put a player in motion, all 11 players must set for one second. After all 11 players are set, one player may go in motion parallel or back from the line of scrimmage. If the motion player starts before all 11 players are set, it is an illegal shift or motion penalty.

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I want to run an offense that lines up in a base formation post huddle – or no huddle – and then shifts into play formation. I have been teaching my kids to line up in a tight T formation with hands on knees. When QB yells “shift,” we shift into double wing, etc.


Here's the trick: I want to be able to run quick snaps on “shift” from the tight T- such as a quarterback wedge. Right now, I have the center ready to snap and all other players keep still in a two-point stance, hands on knees. On “shift,” we either snap the ball or shift three to five players into a different formation and go through “down, set, go.”

As described, the shift play from a two-point stance is legal. Just remember if two or more players shift, all 11 players have to come set again before the snap or before a single player goes in motion.

Also, if all 11 players set in the two-point stance (hands on knees), with at least seven players on the line of scrimmage, you can snap the ball. There is no requirement of having a hand down on the ground. Putting a hand down on the ground only restricts an interior lineman from shifting. Once the hand goes down for an interior lineman, the player can only move with the snap.

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