I know we have some refs on here...

[Mitsurugi san]

...need some help determining if a trick play is legal or not (and no, I am not a Rogersville mighty mite coach):

I know any play that deceives the defense into thinking that the ball is dead (like the "wrong ball" play) are illegal at the high school level (and thereby illegal at most youth levels), but what about the play where the center snaps the ball, only to hold it between his legs while the QB pretends to roll out of it, meanwhile an RB comes and takes the ball from the center a few seconds later?

Also,
Can anyone else think of any other illegal trick plays?

Just general discussion based on my curiosity; this came up at a mighty mite game this week (again, I am not a coach )

 

[Anders4]

That is basically a fumblerooski which is illegal.

 

[Mitsurugi san]

While researching the fumblerooski play (which is indeed illegal because it is deemed an "intentional fumble" with the intent to gain yards), I found that the play I describe above closely resembles a LEGAL variant of the fumblerooski known as the "bumerooski" (legal because the ball does NOT touch the ground).

 

[royalones]

2-40 ART. 2 . . . The snap begins when the snapper first moves the ball legally other than in adjustment. In a snap, the movement must be a quick and continuous backward motion of the ball during which the ball immediately leaves the hand(s) of the snapper and touches a back or the ground before it touches an A lineman.

the center snaps the ball, only to hold it between his legs while the QB pretends to roll out of it, meanwhile an RB comes and takes the ball from the center a few seconds later?

In your scenario this would be an illegal procedure on the offense since the ball never immediately leaves the hands of the snapper.

 

[Mitsurugi san]

Bingo! Thanks!

 

[Mister_Wizard]

Does anybody on here disagree with this: can't our youth coaches just focus on teaching the kids how to play football?

I mean, seriously, how bad is your life if you dream up the "wrong ball coach" trick play and completely fool a bunch of 8-year-old kids?

 

[revno]

Does anybody on here disagree with this: can't our youth coaches just focus on teaching the kids how to play football?

I mean, seriously, how bad is your life if you dream up the "wrong ball coach" trick play and completely fool a bunch of 8-year-old kids?

I coached and we always put in a trick play. Got to keep it fun. We ran a statue of liberty. Never gained a yard with it!

 

[Mister_Wizard]

Reverses, half back passes, s of l, those are more of a part of the game. I don't see those as "gimmicky" like some kind of hidden ball play.

 

[revno]

The kids loved the trick plays, if they could've we would've ran 'em every play. They liked the gimmicks. Also put in a shovel pass and a screen. Common denominator was the qb zig zagged backward 20 yards or so and after drawing everybody back the qb would flip, pass or statue of Liberty it to the fastest kid on the field. Could only run the play like a hail mary, end of quarter, end of half, etc.

This was 20 years ago. Kids I coached are coaching their own now, probably running the spread....

 

[ChaoticFanatic]

Reading this post, I'm baffled that we're arguing about pee wee football.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Reading this post, I'm baffled that we're arguing about pee wee football.

Beats the heck out of discussing the election, no?

 

[Score2Win]

You must be talking about the 5/6th grade team from Ava that played at Sparta the other day ( I heard about it, I was not there). The center "snapped" the ball to the qb. The qb left the ball in the centers hand as the center was bent way over with his hand between his legs and stayed in that position for a couple of seconds at which time the TE came over and took it out of his hand and proceeded down field.

Legal or not? I'm not sure, but it gave them the opportunity to compete against a superior LogRog team.

 

[Mitsurugi san]

Pretty inconsequential play (it got Ava a first down, but not a big gainer by any means); the LR coach just decided to dig in I guess.

That was that LR team (the purple team's) only loss, and LR had a second 5th/6th team (the red team) that went the whole season undefeated and unscored upon.