Motion (gridiron Football)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

In
gridiron football Gridiron football ( ),"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' ...
, motion refers to the movement of an offensive player at the time of the snap. While there are different rules regarding motion, most mandate that no more than one player may be in motion at the time of the snap, and the player must not be an
offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...
(typically, the player in motion is a
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
or
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
). Additionally, the
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
(professional),
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(college), and NFHSAA (high school) require that they be moving laterally or backwards; they are not allowed to be moving towards the
line of scrimmage In gridiron football, a line of scrimmage is an invisible transverse line (across the width of the field) beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun. Its location is based on the spot where the ball is placed after the end ...
when the ball is snapped. The
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
allows for motion towards the line of scrimmage at the time of the snap, as did the
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...
. The
Indoor Football League The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional indoor American football league in the United States. The league comprises 14 teams, divided equally between the Eastern Conference (EC) and Western Conference ...
allows two offensive players to engage in forward motion.


Motion and shift

There is a distinction drawn between a ''shift'' and ''motion'' in football. Motion occurs when a player is moving ''at the time of the snap''. A shift occurs when one or more players changes their position on the offensive side of the ball ''before the snap'', causing a change in formation.


Penalties

The National Football League defines all motion and shift penalties as "illegal motion", while both the NCAA and NFHSAA make a distinction between an "illegal shift" and "illegal motion"; an illegal shift refers to players shifting and not coming to a complete stop before the snap, while illegal motion refers to a player who is in motion towards the line of scrimmage, or a player who is not a "back" in motion. In both leagues, however, the penalty for illegal motion/illegal shift is five yards from the previous spot and replay the down. Additionally, the offensive team may be charged with the penalty of a "false start" if a player on the offense jumps or moves abruptly, simulating the start of the play. This movement is not normally considered a subset of the "motion" or "shift" rules, as the player is not judged to be moving into a new pre-snap position; he is merely starting the play too soon. This is also a five-yard penalty.


History and purpose

In the earliest days of American football, offenses were allowed to shift and assemble themselves as much as they wanted as defenses are still allowed to do. The Minnesota shift and the Notre Dame Box were offensive systems of the early 20th century which relied heavily on shifting into new formations right before the play so that key players were already moving at the snap. However, rule changes were eventually implemented that banned wholesale formation shifts after the offensive team has lined up and required players to remain in that formation for at least one second before a snap or motion can occur. One purpose for putting players in motion in the modern game is to gain clues about the defensive play call, particularly whether the defense is in "zone" or "man-to-man" coverage, as a defender assigned to cover a motioning offensive player will usually follow him across the formation. If the offensive team believes it knows the defense's cover scheme, it might audible to a play that is better suited to defeating the defense's strategy. Players in motion might also confuse a defense that does not communicate well, potentially leaving a pass receiver uncovered. The motion might also be used to allow an offensive player to start the play while already running at top speed parallel to the line of scrimmage such as in a flanker sweep play. In leagues that allow forward motion, receivers can begin the play already sprinting down the field, potentially allowing them to run past defenders.


Requirements

In all forms of football, only players in the backfield and not on the
line of scrimmage In gridiron football, a line of scrimmage is an invisible transverse line (across the width of the field) beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun. Its location is based on the spot where the ball is placed after the end ...
may be in motion at the time of the snap. Prior to starting the motion, all players on the offensive side must be in a set formation for a minimum of one
second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...
. In most versions of
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
, only one player may be in motion at one time, and the player must not move toward the line of scrimmage in his motion (in other words, he can only move laterally or backward). In no situation may the moving player begin on the line of scrimmage when he moves (in other words, offensive linemen are prohibited from motion prior to the snap). Any player who shifts from a lineman position to a back position must set in position at least five yards behind the line of scrimmage before going into motion. Exceptions are as follows: *
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
: Motion is prohibited. *
XFL (2001) The XFL was a professional American football league that played its only season in 2001. The XFL was operated as a joint venture between the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and NBC. The XFL was conceived as an outdoor football l ...
, WFL,
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...
and most other indoor football leagues: One player in motion is allowed; he can move toward the line of scrimmage only if he is outside the
offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tendency to cause acts of violence by the ...
s. (The 2020 XFL has not indicated whether or not it will revive the forward motion rule.) *
American Indoor Football American Indoor Football (AIF) is a professional Indoor American football, indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America. The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the ...
: Two players in motion were allowed, both could move toward the line of scrimmage, one each outside the guard or tight end. *
Canadian football Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field long and wide, attempting to advance a Ball (gridiron football), pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposi ...
: All backfield players are allowed to move toward the line of scrimmage before the snap, regardless of their horizontal position. In leagues that allow forward motion, the moving player(s) cannot cross the line of scrimmage, otherwise a ''false start'' penalty is called.


References


Further reading

* ''National Federation of State High School Associations Rule Book, 2001''


External links


Motions & Shifts
via
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

Peach Bowl Illegal Motion
via YouTube {{Gridiron football maneuvers American football terminology