LSU False Start

Trick play designed by LSU to draw Alabama offside. This is illegal and was flagged as such.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• LSU
• Alabama
• false
• start
• ref
• penalty

[johnsec2006]

OK RefMike, since you are the world's ultimate authority pertaining to All Things NCAA Football Officiating, perhaps you can take a break from pontificating about this rule and explain the following:

Those 2 no-call chop-blocks--legal?

LSU--14 penalties for 140 yds., 'Bama--2 for 15.

'Bama--6 first-downs via penalty, LSU--0.

[RefMike]

Not sure which blocks you are referring to. Do you have video of them/

It is not uncommon to have 1 team with significantly more fouls than the other. I do not follow LSU but do they have a problem with fouls this year? Refs are not supposed to ensure each team gets the same number of fouls called. They are supposed to call what they see, regardless of how that affects the penalty count.

[johnsec2006]

The illegal blocks that knocked Dorsey and T. Jackson out in the 1st half (they're on YouTube, like the 2 that weren't called in LSU vs. Aub).

I've played, coached and officiated football and other sports, & I know--and so do you, 'cos it's obvious you have exper. & knowledge--that refs don't always call what they see AND they're influenced by home crowds, etc. (& some don't know the rules well & make to bad calls. Even if YOU don't & know what's "supposed" to be done, it happens all the time.

[RefMike]

Clearly not all fouls are seen and therefore not all are called. Perhaps the reason you left officiating is because you were unable to keep yourself from being influenced unfairly. That may have been your situation but it is not mine or that of any of the guys I ref with.

[JAMFESTCHICK]

to bad

[99zebra]

I have to admire RefMike for trying to answer your questions professionally despite your inappropriate, cynical and sarcastic personal tone. I wouldn't have bothered.

[99zebra]

Palm209 - agree that it is illegal as my post said so I'm not sure what you mean in your reply by saying at the beginning "Wrong!"

[palma209]

Wrong! Rule 7-1-3(4) provides in pertinent part that no linemen may move after having placed their hand(s)on the ground, near the ground or below their knee. It's clear in the video that #71 (Right Tackle) had his right hand below his knee then raised it just before the shift. Thus, illegal.

[JSGrill]

The block on Dorsey was not illegal. A chop block is defined as one offensive player holding up a defensive player while another player takes out the legs. That didn't happen when Dorsey was injured. I don't recall the play for T.Jackson.

Also, something like half of LSU's penalties were 15-yard personal fouls for late hits, face-masks, and unsportsmanlike conduct. That is the difference in the penalty spread. Not some nefarious conspiracy.

[99zebra]

The action by the offense is not legal - it is designed to draw the defense offside - no need to get into the rule book as that has been well documented - it all comes down to judgment by the officials.

If it matters to the non-officials on this thread I have been a D1A official for 26 years, a crew chief for 10 years, worked 13 bowls games plus a national D1A championship game. I would call this a foul everytime and if I didn't, my supervisor would downgrade me in a heartbeat.

[RefMike]

Well then what is the argument? If a team does something that is designed to get the other team to jump offside, it is a foul.

As for what the ref announced, this is just semantics. The rule prevents "simulating the start of a play" He should have said that instead of "simulating the snap" but that does not change the fact there was a foul and it was enforced correctly.