If the Oklahoma play is illegal, then why isn't every other

Volnugs Spy said:

trick play? I'm pretty sure they are all designed to fool the other team - as are most football plays.

There’s a difference between gaming the rules like Oklahoma did (or Oregon last year with the 12 men on the field penalty) and a ball misdirection fake play. You’re not manipulating any rules when you have your TE throw a TD pass.

Oklahoma acted like they were subbing a player which the defense has to allow the offense to do. They then snapped the ball as he got to the sideline and got set. Thats different than a WR reverse who then throws it.

It was very similar to what Kiffin ran with Amani Cooper at Bama on his 1st trip back here as Bama OC.

Coopersvols said:

Oklahoma acted like they were subbing a player which the defense has to allow the offense to do. They then snapped the ball as he got to the sideline and got set. Thats different than a WR reverse who then throws it.

I understand what they did, but I’m unsure of how to police it. If a player runs toward the sideline who is to know and how do you know if he is leaving the game or moving to a wide position. Especially when you consider that he was on the field for the previous play and if there were 11 players on the field then no player came from the sideline to substitute for him.

How does this situation even need to be explained?

Blown coverage. We’d put up 100 on Auburn since they don’t cover the wide splits.

PONG876 said:

I understand what they did, but I’m unsure of how to police it. If a player runs toward the sideline who is to know and how do you know if he is leaving the game or moving to a wide position. Especially when you consider that he was on the field for the previous play and if there were 11 players on the field then no player came from the sideline to substitute for him.

Well, your captain should account for 11 players every down.

Dr. Curmudgeon 2.0 said:

Well, your captain should account for 11 players every down.

I assume you’re saying the defensive captain? If so, I agree. 11 guys on the field all of them had reported legally. I’m having a difficult time understanding how this rule should be enforced. It’s not as if ou snuck a guy in off the sideline right before the snap.

PONG876 said:

I assume you’re saying the defensive captain? If so, I agree. 11 guys on the field all of them had reported legally. I’m having a difficult time understanding how this rule should be enforced. It’s not as if ou snuck a guy in off the sideline right before the snap.

It should have been seen at least on replay. The guy ran off the field, then stopped at the line, the league said it was illegal, no excuse not to catch that on replay. AU wins the game if they don;t get a TD there.

PONG876 said:

I assume you’re saying the defensive captain? If so, I agree. 11 guys on the field all of them had reported legally. I’m having a difficult time understanding how this rule should be enforced. It’s not as if ou snuck a guy in off the sideline right before the snap.

Exactly my point. The defensive captain should never get duped by assuming a player ran off the field.

RDBIPB said:

It should have been seen at least on replay. The guy ran off the field, then stopped at the line, the league said it was illegal, no excuse not to catch that on replay. AU wins the game if they don;t get a TD there.

The guy never came off the field

PONG876 said:

I understand what they did, but I’m unsure of how to police it. If a player runs toward the sideline who is to know and how do you know if he is leaving the game or moving to a wide position. Especially when you consider that he was on the field for the previous play and if there were 11 players on the field then no player came from the sideline to substitute for him.

Dude, I completely agree with you. How on earth can that be policed?

RDBIPB said:

It should have been seen at least on replay. The guy ran off the field, then stopped at the line, the league said it was illegal, no excuse not to catch that on replay. AU wins the game if they don;t get a TD there.

The thing is (at least as I understand it)that he didn’t run off the field. He ran toward the sideline allowing the defense to believe he was running off the field. If he was on the field for the previous play, never left the field, no one substituted for him, and he was set at the snap, I don’t see how this is much different than a team running tempo with a wide split receiver. I haven’t examined the play, but how does he “hide” in plain sight if he never left the field and how is a referee supposed to determine that the intent was to be deceptive?

If it was a substitution, the ref would have been on the ball to allow the defense to make a sub as well. It sounds like OU told the refs that they weren't subbing somehow (pregame, coach to sideline ref, etc), and because of that, the refs were in the know about what was going on.

PONG876 said:

The thing is (at least as I understand it)that he didn’t run off the field. He ran toward the sideline allowing the defense to believe he was running off the field. If he was on the field for the previous play, never left the field, no one substituted for him, and he was set at the snap, I don’t see how this is much different than a team running tempo with a wide split receiver. I haven’t examined the play, but how does he “hide” in plain sight if he never left the field and how is a referee supposed to determine that the intent was to be deceptive?

After rewatching it, I think the SEC comment is wrong. Dude doesn't motion for a sub (from video I'm watching), and the Auburn players completely disregard him. They legit line up to play 11 v 10, and dude stops at the LOS and lines up. His angle to the LOS is smart though...it does look like he's heading to the bench, but he doesn't ever leave field of play or motion for anything other than him getting too his spot.

Volnugs Spy said:

trick play? I'm pretty sure they are all designed to fool the other team - as are most football plays.

The Oklahoma play was illegal because they made an attempt to deceive the opponent by running a player to the sidelines without the player leaving the field.

Duluthvol68 said:

The Oklahoma play was illegal because they made an attempt to deceive the opponent by running a player to the sidelines without the player leaving the field.

He never ran to the sideline. He walked to the sideline and stopped and got set where he was suppose to be in the formation. He stood still and was in position when ball was snapped. This rule is terrible.

PONG876 said:

I understand what they did, but I’m unsure of how to police it. If a player runs toward the sideline who is to know and how do you know if he is leaving the game or moving to a wide position. Especially when you consider that he was on the field for the previous play and if there were 11 players on the field then no player came from the sideline to substitute for him.

Easy way to police it. 15 yard penalty just like the rule says it is. Refs missed it. Same as missing a facemask. Also, if he checked in as Oklahoma claimed then it would have been announced and Auburn just didn't pay attention (I can't say whether he did or didn't check in with the official)

Volcommandern84 said:

Easy way to police it. 15 yard penalty just like the rule says it is. Refs missed it. Same as missing a facemask. Also, if he checked in as Oklahoma claimed then it would have been announced and Auburn just didn't pay attention (I can't say whether he did or didn't check in with the official)

He didn’t need to check in. He was already on the field the previous play. He was in the flat as the previous play ended. He then just casually walked towards the sideline but stopped before leaving the field. Where he stoped was in a legal position in the formation. This was Auburn’s fault for not accounting for him. It’s a terrible rule to say this is illegal. We could get flagged for this at some point having our WRs line up so close to the sideline.

Oklahoma claimed he checked in, whether he needed to or not is beside the point.

Fulmer did something very similar in his day and it resulted in a first down. Sideline feigned too many men on the field, which there were not, so the TN player appeared to be hustling off, but stopped at the sideline for a screen.

Anyone else get annoyed by those goofy trick play videos where someone pretends to ask for a new ball and then takes off running. So goofy

Volcommandern84 said:

Easy way to police it. 15 yard penalty just like the rule says it is. Refs missed it. Same as missing a facemask. Also, if he checked in as Oklahoma claimed then it would have been announced and Auburn just didn't pay attention (I can't say whether he did or didn't check in with the official)

How do you determine intent to deceive? The receiver who was on the field for the previous play walked out to the split end position, did not leave the field of play, no one substituted for him and he was set at the snap. Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see how this is much different than Tennessee running tempo with our wide sets. Receiver was on the field for the previous play, likely ran (not walked) to a wide set split end position, no one substituted for him and he was set at the snap. Is this intent to deceive, too? I think it’s pretty clear playing with tempo is designed to get the defense to mid identify a match up and give us a chance to take advantage of it. I see little difference.

Once again, why is it against the rules to deceive the opponent?