False start penalties are detracting from my enjoyment of football. I think it's time to remove them almost entirely from the rulebook. I'm getting tired of all these false start / offsides penalties that do little other than slow down the game and lessen the building excitement. A portion of the time, the officials don't even see that one of the O-linemen twitch and call an offsides penalty instead. And on the other hand, many O-linemen twitch only after a D-lineman jumps at them. On top of all that, O-linemen move often to check the QB when a play is changed at the line of scrimmage. The line between a false start and no-call is far too thin. It's not OK to bob your head a half inch, yet you can lift your head completely and swivel it towards your QB? And one more point: Expecting a 300 pound lineman to make absolutely no movements for up to 10-15 seconds just seems like too much to ask.
My idea is to eliminate the false start completely, save for the center who will still have an "illegal snap" possibility. Put the onus on the defense to stay onsides until the ball is snapped. It would take some getting used to, but in the long run it should make for a more exciting and enjoyable game.
if its so difficult, why do they manage NOT to false start 98% of the time. i wonder how much you'd enjoy football if you defensive linemen, forced to stay on one side of ball until the ball moves, starts getting blown off the rock because your stupid idea. hell, lets eliminate 3 point stances. there's isnt a rule that says they even HAVE to get down there. go back and get a clear understanding of the rule.
and why do you think it's anymore difficult for a 300lb guy to stay still. he has more vody to move and it'd take more effort for him to jump than some skinny lil blogger. and more importantly - if he's in the NFL, he's been assuming the position for over 10 years. surely, he's managed to find a way to stand still - he IS in the NFL.
I'm not too sure, but I think Demon isn't a fan of this idea.
Sure it's not super hard to stay still for a long time, but it's understandable when they are unable to. And that's why I have a problem with the penalty. Especially because of my point that you ignored, that many penalties are incorrect because it's difficult to judge if a D-lineman was drawn offsides or if he jumped on his own, etc.
And yes, offenses would get an advantage, but both teams play offense in a game so neither team gets the edge.
And I take "skinny blogger" as a compliment. Thanks.
Last edited by jaysisko on October 21st at 4:09 PM.
I completely agree with this good idea. What I would do is rule that the play begins and the defense can cross the line of scrimmage as soon as the ball is snapped OR when any offensive player crosses the line of scrimmage. Any movement behind the line would be ok. However, if an offensive tackle jumps over the line the defensive lineman could tackle the center! Please note, False Starts rarely cross the line of scrimmage and are usually just a minor movement.
This blogger is a New Yorker, born and raised. I'm a huge sports fan, following pretty much every major sport out there. Sadly, this does not include hockey, NASCAR, or boxing. Hockey lost my affection during the lockout, NASCAR is not a sport, and boxing has become incredibly boring since the dawn of MMA. If you want to talk football, baseball, basketball, or MMA, then I'm your man. I could also debate NASCAR with anyone, but we would probably end up just going around in circles...
