To be specific, these questions refer to 2022 NFL football rules:
Thanks for helping me understand!
They are very similar, but “offsides” is called when a player is in the neutral zone, or past the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. The play typically continues, despite the flag being thrown.
A “neutral zone infraction” is called when a player is in the neutral zone, or past the line of scrimmage, before the ball is snapped – this is most commonly called when a defensive player moves in, and causes an offensive player to react. It’s a dead-ball foul.
There’s no such penalty as “back field in motion;” you may be thinking of “illegal motion.” In the NFL, the rules allow one offensive player at a time, who is not lined up on the line of scrimmage (any player not lined up on the line of scrimmage is considered to be “in the backfield”), to be in motion prior to the snap, but their motion has to be parallel to, or away from, the line of scrimmage.
“Illegal motion” is usually called if there are two backfield players moving at the same time, or, more rarely, if a player in motion moves towards the line of scrimmage.
“False start” is called if a player who is in a “set” position (i.e., not in motion) moves prior to the snap of the ball. That movement doesn’t need to be enough to send that player across the line of scrimmage (i.e., “offsides”); just a twitch by an offensive lineman is enough to warrant a false start penalty.
(Also, note that, while it’s, I suppose, possible for offsides to be called on the offense, it’s nearly always a call against the defense.)
I do not recognize this at all; I suspect you misheard something.
#1 - the quick version is, it is a “neutral zone infraction” if a defensive player is past the line of scrimmage at the snap and either (a) has a clear path to the quarterback, or (b) causes an offensive player to react. The main reason for the distinction is, “neutral zone infraction” ends the play immediately, while just being offside allows the play to continue.
Note that it is not offside if a player crosses the line of scrimmage and then crosses back before the snap. This is why a false start isn’t “offsides.”
#2 - a False Start is when an offensive lineman makes a move, usually crossing the line of scrimmage, that makes it look like the play has started. “Backfield in Motion” (called Illegal Motion) is when, at the snap, either two or more backfield players are moving, or one is moving toward the line of scrimmage. I have seen this called on a placekicker attempting a field goal who was moving forward to kick the ball just before it was snapped.
I can’t help you with #3, unless the referee said “unimpeded” - this is the “clear path to the quarterback” rule I mentioned earlier.
My guess is that he heard “ineligible offensive lineman downfield”. Offensive linemen are only allowed to go a yard downfield before the ball is thrown. Linemen can check in with the ref before the play to declare as a receiver.
Definitely misheard something.
Maybe “offensive lineman downfield” or “ineligible receiver downfield”? There are certain offensive players who are ineligible to receive passes. If they are past the line of scrimmage (one yard in the NFL, 3 in college) when the ball is thrown, that’s a penalty.
ETA: Ninja’d!
And, just to be clear, what @That_Don_Guy is describing is for a defensive player. If a defensive player jumps into the neutral zone, or across the line of scrimmage, before the ball is snapped, if he’s able to get back to his side of the line before the snap, and if his movement doesn’t cause anyone on the offense to move in response, there’s no penalty.
However:
I’m just going to say, I love “too much offense deep in defense” for ineligible man downfield. I may have to start using it, kind of like “too much man” for too many players on the field (or the ice, the meme came from hockey).
Some clarification on this, as well:
The offense must have exactly seven players lined up at the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. Only the two players on the ends of that “line” are eligible receivers – typically, those are wide receivers and/or tight ends.
To be an eligible receiver lined up at the line of scrimmage, the player must either:
If the offense has fewer (or more) than 7 players on the line of scrimmage at the snap, or if the two players on the “ends” of the line aren’t eligible receivers, that’s an “illegal formation” penalty.
I just want to point out that this is by far the stupidest rule change in the past 30 years that I can think of.
That was the whole point prior to the rule change- the offensive players have to be set, and NOT react, while the defensive players can do whatever they want, up to and including violating the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. If they’re caught in the neutral zone when the ball’s snapped, it’s a penalty- .
But now, it seems to be that if the defensive player can somehow “cause” the offensive player to react and get flagged for it. Sounds like a fig leaf for shitty offensive line discipline, if you ask me.
You’ll sometimes hear the ref say that a player “covered” another player. What that generally means is that a wide receiver screwed up and wound up on the line.
A lot of wacky things are allowed in football as long as they technically meet the rules. Unbalanced formations, direct snaps to the running back, and so on. Heck, a couple weeks ago I saw a trick play where the QB was the man in motion walking towards the sidelines like he was about to kill the play and they direct snapped to the halfback. It worked, too.
Exactly. With teams now often using formations featuring 3, 4, or 5 wide receivers, sometimes a WR who is supposed to be lined up off the line of scrimmage (technically in the backfield) will wind up on the line, as well as there being another WR or TE on the line, on that same side of the ball. It’s also an “illegal formation” penalty, with the referee using “covered” to explain why it was illegal.
You can have a legal formation with a covered receiver, it just means that the otherwise legal receiver (for example, a tight end put in to block) can’t legally catch a pass. Which is the other time you might hear it, if the play breaks down and the covered player catches the pass for some reason.
Good clarification, thank you.
Here’s the NFL’s rules site on “ineligible receivers”:
It’s only a penalty if the defensive player crosses the neutral zone though. I mean, imagine if the DL runs right at you, crosses the neutral zone, and the rule “you still have to stay perfectly still and can’t stop him from running full speed into you.”
I have noticed though they’ve been a bit more strict with the rule lately. It used to be that guys like Aaron Rodgers would do a hard count, get a guy to jump, and then any OL would stand up to cause a neutral zone infraction. But now it really needs to be just the OL right by the DL crossing. If another OL stands up first it’s a false start.
I’ve always felt that offensive linemen ought to be allowed to move and flinch as much as they like. If the defenders jump offside, too bad, they should be watching the ball, not the guy across them.
As for the “too much offense deep in defense” - I think maybe the OP means an offensive lineman who’s gone too far downfield on a pass play and is considered an “ineligible receiver?”
Do you mean, “Illegal man downfield”?
Only legal pass receivers can be more than 3 yards down field when the ball is thrown. If a lineman is downfield, he is flagged as being an “illegal man downfield”.
That’s a great way to get your QB killed when an OL baits a bull rusher into knocking him and the QB behind him over without being ready for it.
ETA: But I’m sure the 5 yard penalty makes up for that
Offside on the offense is rare, but not unheard of. I saw one recently called on a rookie wideout for Dallas. It’s been called three times total this NFL season and once in 2021.
In the case of offense, it’s never about moving into the neutral zone before the snap (which would be a false start) but lining up too far forward.
It happens more with wideouts since it’s usually obvious if a lineman lines up too far forward and they will self-correct (but it has happened!).
The opposite issue is probably a bit more common when an OL lines up a little too far back of the line. They should be lined up on the center’s belt line but there’s a bit of leeway as long as it’s not too egregious (and the officials generally gently remind players about this sort of thing if they look like they’re repeatedly skirting close to a violation).
I got curious and looked these up. Sure enough, twice on WR but one on a DB!
But it turned out not to be that exciting. In the Bengals/Saints game back on Oct 16, there was an offside penalty called on a kick off, which I guess also happens from time to time.