Rule review video: Leaping and leverage, an unusual formation, and targeting

2024 Media video #11

National coordinator of football officials Steve Shaw posted his weekly video breaking down rules and interpretations from week 10 of the college football season. Before discussing plays for this week, Shaw went over statistics about general game flow.

In FBS, there has been an average of 175.5 plays per game, which is down 0.5 plays per game from last year, but down 5 plays per game from 2022 (when new first down timing rules were instituted). Even though plays are down, scoring is up. Games are averaging 56.9 total points per game, which is up a point from last season. Game time is at 3:20, which is just about average for last year.

• Leaping and leverage. On a field goal attempt, the defensive player jumps the line and lands on an offensive lineman. The defender committed fouls for both leverage (for landing on an offensive lineman while trying to block the kick) and leaping (for leaping the line after lining up more than 1 yard away from the line of scrimmage during the snap). Only one is enforced, but they are both present.
• Coach-to-player communications. Each team is allowed one player on the field that can receive audio communications from the coaching staff, which is signified by a green dot on the back of the helmet of said player. On a play where both the starting and backup quarterbacks were in the backfield, we can see that the backup is wearing a different helmet, one with no green dot and no communication system, while he is in the game. Once he returns to the sideline, he swaps back to his green dot helmet to be ready in case he has to go in for the starter.
• Targeting. The last play of the 4th quarter is a throw over the middle, which is subsequently lateraled backwards to a teammate, who is hit hard and tackled. There were multiple fouls on the field for targeting, which was confirmed by replay. The receiver (even though it was a lateral) is still considered defenseless because he didn’t have enough time to secure the pass and become a ball carrier, and there was forcible contact to the head. The game was extended for one untimed down, and the fouling player was disqualified.
• Touchback. The ball carrier is running down the sideline towards the goal line as the ball is punched out by a defender. Replay steps in and confirms the ball was fumbled forward, in bounds (over/inside the pylon is considered in bounds), and out the back of the end zone for a touchback.
• Legal formation. The QB takes the snap and immediately spikes the ball to stop the clock. The offense used a unique formation, as 10 players (everyone except the QB) were up on the line of scrimmage. This formation is legal, because they still had the required number of offensive lineman on the line and no more than four in the backfield.
• Goal line pylon. Two plays displayed the different enforcements at the pylon on the goal line. The first play has the ball carrier dive in bounds for the goal line and touch the pylon with the ball before any part of his body was down, which resulted in a touchdown. The second play has the runner staying on his feet, but being pushed out of bounds as his leg touches the pylon. Though the ball carrier gets goal line extended, it was determined that the ball was short of the goal line the moment his foot touched the pylon. Once any body part touches the pylon, the play is immediately dead.