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Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:09 am EDT

ACC officials ask that you not attempt to confuse the defense, please

By Matt Hinton

For those of you, like me, who were impressed by this bit of classic deception in last Thurday's Georgia Tech-Clemson game --

-- or by Clemson's use of essentially the same tactic for a big gain to set up a tying field goal in the second half, ACC officials have news for you: Tricking the defense isn't fair, mmmkay?

Both plays in Thursday’s game should have flagged and nullified for violating a rule prohibiting substitution tactics that may confuse opponents, ACC coordinator of football officials Doug Rhoads said Monday.
[...]
According to NCAA rule 9-2-2-b: "No simulated replacements or substitutions may be used to confuse opponents. No tactic associated with substitutes or the substitution process may be used to confuse opponents."
[...]
"The 'simulated replacement' language is what makes it (illegal)," Rhoads said.

The rule -- which eliminates the conventional "within the hashmarks" requirements for entering players and seems to cover all players, even the tried and true receivers who come out of the huddle but don't leave the field -- is less concerned with confusing defenses than with confusing officials, who apparently had the wherewithal to keep everyone straight in this case, since both plays stood as completions. Presumably they expected the defense to be able to account for all 11 offensive players on the field -- in Clemson's case, against a kicker lining up to try a kick more than 10 yards beyond his career long. Insanity.

"No tactic associated with substitutes or the substitution process may be used to confuse opponents." Does that eliminate the various iterations of the "Wildcat," too?

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12 Comments

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  1. gtne91
    1. Posted by gtne91 Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:35 am EDT

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    A few years back there was a flag thrown on a punt reception that everyone seemed to think was a bad flag. Both coaches involved (FSU and Wake maybe), announcers, about half a dozen other coaches in the league, etc. It was close, but the receiver had time to catch the ball and then got drilled. LIke I said, everyone thought it was a legit hit.
    The next year, at the summer officials training, the ACC used the tape of the call in their training. And said it was a good flag and should be called that same way every time.
    Sigh.
    Thats all I need to say about the ACC office.
  2. Kyle
    2. Posted by Kyle Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:40 am EDT

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    Is that a new rule? I thought after USM used this kind of trick play against Louisville about 10 years ago the NCAA started requiring all players to be within the numbers indicating the yards on the field.
  3. Hitman
    3. Posted by Hitman Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:41 am EDT

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    Loser's always look for an excuse. It is the defensive team's responsibility to know where the offensive players are.
  4. sodahq
    4. Posted by sodahq Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:47 am EDT

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    I remember Nebraska running that same fake field goal against LSU in the orange bowl back in the 80s. If the rule is what Rhoads says it is then that's crap. What about that one where you hide a runner behind the line and the qb fakes a sprintout while the runner sneaks out the other way? Is that illegal too?
  5. Aimee
    5. Posted by Aimee Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:40 pm EDT

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    The Buffalo Bills pulled that same stunt last year against the Seahawks. Seems to work pretty well, and its fun to watch if you're on the side of the "punting" team!
  6. 4.0 Point Stance
    6. Posted by 4.0 Point Stance Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:43 pm EDT

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    Stupid rule. Here's an interesting question. A lot of teams have two players who share the same number - one offensive player, one defensive player. As long as they aren't on the field at the same time, this isn't an infraction. But could it be considered an "attempt to confuse?" because the opposing team can't tell which is which?
    Here's a real world example. Last year LSU had two punters - one for long kicks, one for pooches. They would also alternate on kickoffs. Both would wear #30, so the receiving team didn't know which was coming out on the field on a certain down. Should the Tigers have been flagged?
  7. Matt H
    7. Posted by Matt H Wed Sep 16, 2009 1:10 pm EDT

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    kje: Yes, Southern Miss used this tactic on a punt to beat Louisville in the de facto C-USA Championship in 1999. Didn't score a touchdown, but USM was able to run out the clock with the lead. This has been in a lot of playbooks over the years -- obviously, Clemson and G-Tech ran it in the same game. It does sound like a new rule to me, or a very laxly enforced one over the years.
  8. gtne91
    8. Posted by gtne91 Wed Sep 16, 2009 1:17 pm EDT

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    Matt,
    Instead of lax enforcement, its safer to assume the ACC is interpreting the rule wrong.
  9. Adonis
    9. Posted by Adonis Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:15 pm EDT

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    That was a nice play, but they should of kept that in the play book until they really needed it.
  10. Brian M
    10. Posted by Brian M Wed Sep 16, 2009 5:47 pm EDT

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    I don't know, that Georgia Tech play seems to violate both the spirit and the word of the rule. One player didn't get off the field when they swapped out their offense for their special teams, and that player pretty clearly constitutes a "simulated replacement". If you move him out wide after the substitution takes place, it's obvious he's still on the field. It's a stupid rule, but it does sound like that play violates it.
    It doesn't, however, seem like a Wildcat play would violate it, since it's not the substitution but the formation that confuses (or, just as often, fails to confuse) the defense.
  11. bobby
    11. Posted by bobby Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:14 pm EDT

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    the reson gt should have been flaged was the reciever was troting off the field pretending he was not in the play and the ball was thrown to him
  12. William S
    12. Posted by William S Thu Sep 17, 2009 1:11 am EDT

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    there were multiple GT players that stayed on the field....EVEN THE NORMAL CENTER STAYED - AKA NOT THE LONG SNAPPER

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