Rules Question

[Trench Warrior]

Would someone please help me out here. In our game Friday, as the offense was getting to the line, their entire line would get into a stance, sometimes with hands down sometimes not. Center would place his hand on the ball (physically touched the ball). On 90% of their plays they had a check call and would look at their coach. When they would do so, they would all come out of their stance, center pulling his hand off the ball, ball moves etc. Our defensive linemen react. A couple of times at first our linemen pulled a penalty on the offsides. They figured it out and stopped, but am I wrond in saying that this is a false start. As soon as the center puts his hand on the ball and then moves it off, is the ball not live?

[GrTigers6]

It is my understanding that a center can pull his hand off as long as he does it in a slow motion, no quick movements. But he can change positions. Texmike can verify or tell me im wrong. lol

[TexMike]

Correct for the most part ( I think you had a typo in next to last sentence. You meant he canNOT move to a new position, right?)

If the other linemen put their hands on the ground or below the knees, they are locked in and cannot come back up or it is a false start

[Trench Warrior]

That's what I thought. Regardless, it never got called. Maybe they were just being very loose on their calls with that.

[TexMike]

Hopefully whomever it was gets that cleaned up before the playoffs, assuming they are in. Playoff officials expect teams to be able to do the basics and may not be as forgiving

[Emerson1]

Correct for the most part ( I think you had a typo in next to last sentence. You meant he canNOT move to a new position, right?)

If the other linemen put their hands on the ground or below the knees, they are locked in and cannot come back up or it is a false start
Semi related. A couple years ago a team was in punt protection. Semi hunched over with their hands above their knees. All at once they all popped up real fast and the defense jumped and was called offsides. I assume it was the right call because the coach that called the play is pretty smart. What rule allows this though?

[TexMike]

Lots of teams get away with that (incorrectly). Once the players are in a formation, hands down or not, and they make a play that simulates the start of the play, it is a false start. Any quick, jerky movements by any offensive team players should be flagged as a false start

[Emerson1]

I think they just did it slow enough to that it wasn't. I don't remember the other coach arguing it.

[GrTigers6]

Correct for the most part ( I think you had a typo in next to last sentence. You meant he canNOT move to a new position, right?)

If the other linemen put their hands on the ground or below the knees, they are locked in and cannot come back up or it is a false startyes you are correct texmike lol. Hands cant type as fast as brain thinks. lol