The rule wouldnt surprise me, especially seeing how intricate NFL off and def packages are. I imagine there is some lobbying because def coordinators tend to package their def based on personnel.
Id love to see the play get called dead and hear the ref. I usually dont like to see people screw up, but some of the ref’s give entertaining explanations. There was one this season (I think preseason) where on a KO, 2 cover guys and 1 return guy all had penalties. And it was number 57, 95, and 97. It took the ref about 5 minutes to get it right, because they all had similar numbers, and there is hardly ever a 3 penalty play. But he had the biggest grin n his face knowing that this was happening on tv. He was a good sport.
My favorite is when a ref threw an unsportsmanlike and said “15 yd penalty - Giving him the Business”
The rule wouldnt surprise me, especially seeing how intricate NFL off and def packages are. I imagine there is some lobbying because def coordinators tend to package their def based on personnel.
Good point. I wasn't even aware of the rule until I saw a penalty called on a play some years ago (I think it involved the Seattle Seahawks). There wasn't even a deliberate attempt to confuse anyone in that case. They simply lined up for a punt on fourth down, and someone on the sideline finally realized they only had ten players on the field. So the 11th player came running in from the sideline and got about three steps onto the field when the ball was snapped. The punter alertly realized what had happened, saw that the player from the sideline had come in behind the line of scrimmage and was completely onside when the ball was snapped, and tossed the ball out to him for an easy first down. That's when the flags flew, a penalty was called, and the announcer explained the ruling and the rationale behind it.