On a punt, the punter is about 15 yards behind the line on a FG attempt about 7. In a shotgun, the QB is probably about 7 as well, maybe only 5, I really don’t know. Do most teams actually use their long snapper for FGs? Again I don’t know. Maybe they do as the kneeling holder has much less “range” to catch the ball than the shotgun QB.
Regarding the helmet rules, they should also fine the crap outta the guys that don’t snap the chin strap(s).
Accuracy of the snap is a lot more important in punts and FGs. For punts, it’s obviously because he’s throwing it twice as far. For FGs, if he’s off by more than a few inches, it can greatly increase the chances of the holder mishandling the ball and a failed attempt. Besides, there’s no incentive not to use a long snapper for fieldgoals because, not only do you get the increased accuracy, but he can still fill a similar roll of the other lineman in blocking by virtue of taking up space and forcing the defense to go around him.
For shotgun, his target is a lot closer than for a punt and the target area is considerably larger than for a FG, so accuracy is less important. Further, unlike the special teams examples, where he can still act as a stand in blocker as a space filler, in the case of a shotgun, he’s utterly useless as a blocker to pick up blitzes and whatnot.
Yeah, that “reasonable opportunity to make a fair catch” rule has been around for years. I first learned the rule 3 or 4 years ago when the Giants got nailed by it. Guy called for a fair catch but it bounced off his shoulder pretty much straight up in the air. The gunner leveled him while another Giant grabbed the ball. Woohoo! Flag on the play, fair catch interference. Doh! I was pissed.
The biggest downside of moving the ref is that he’s now in a better position to catch offensive holding, so expect more holding calls.
So you think that officials are already calling every hold they can see?
No, but now that they’ll be in position to see more of them, if they continue tyo ignore them at the same rate we’ll get more calls.
Hanh? If that were the case, nobody would ever use the shotgun in an obvious passing situation because they’d be “wasting” one of their blockers. Well, if you actually bothered to notice how centers actually snap the ball in a shotgun formation, they are looking straight ahead (and, before the snap, the center is usually the guy signaling blocking schemes to the other 4 (or 5-tight end sometimes) linemen), not back through their legs, and are 100% active and moving to block their guy at the moment of the snap.
Looks like players who thrive on the no-huddle are pissed about the new umpire alignment – rightfully so.
I don’t care how right they are, anything that pisses off Peyton & Polian and makes them whine and cry like little bitches warms my heart. Fuck them.
Oh please, Bill Pollian is on the Competition Committee that recommended this and the league will adjust, I am sure they can imporve certain things about it, but Payton sounds pretty whiney in that piece.
Wilbon had a good point on PTI. Who cares if it hurts the hurry up offense? How many rules have been put in place to protect the QB? Can’t hit low, can’t hit high, it’s much harder for pass rushers thanks to those changes. Now here’s another change put in to protect somebody, only this time it’s the umpire instead of the QB. Who cares if it makes it harder for Egghead to run his cheap-shot offense? (Quick, hike the ball real fast while the 12th defensive man is running off the field…that’s good football!)
The whining Peyton and Polian did to change how PI is called changed the game, so now it’s harder for DBs to cover receivers. Karma has now arrived.