Is 5 lined up in the backfield the old not enough men on the line?

[Bull-by-Marriage]

Thanks.

[gobulls83]

Thanks.

It is the same penalty. You need seven players lined up on the line of scrimmage, and if a team has five in the backfield obviously there can only be six on the line of scrimmage.

[Bull-by-Marriage]

Thanks.

It is the same penalty. You need seven players lined up on the line of scrimmage, and if a team has five in the backfield obviously there can only be six on the line of scrimmage.

I know what it means. I was asking if they had changed the name. Up until this year, it was called Not enough men on the line of scrimmage. This year it's 5 lined up in the back field. Whatever you call it, it's a very subjective call. Tackles have been lining up more than a yard off for years now.

[theman123]

I was thinking that as well, I had never heard it called that.  But I heard it a few times throughout the day saturday.

[Guest]

Thanks.

It is the same penalty. You need seven players lined up on the line of scrimmage, and if a team has five in the backfield obviously there can only be six on the line of scrimmage.

I know what it means. I was asking if they had changed the name. Up until this year, it was called Not enough men on the line of scrimmage. This year it's 5 lined up in the back field. Whatever you call it, it's a very subjective call. Tackles have been lining up more than a yard off for years now.

1 - It's technically an Illegal Formation.

2 - The "line" runs through the waist of the center. As long as six other people are in a line with the center's waist, they are considered "on the line."

3 - The way the line judge and head linesman count is by counting the # in the backfield. They look for four players or less (you can technically have as few as 1 - the QB - just no more than four).

So the official is just telling you how they know it was an Illegal Formation.

[USF_Grouper]

3 - The way the line judge and head linesman count is by counting the # in the backfield.  They look for four players or less (you can technically have as few as 1 - the QB - just no more than four).

Really?  I have never officiated football, so I certainly wouldn't know, but that seems an odd way to count them.  In most formations some receivers will be on the line (to total 7) and others will just be a step or so back.  Stepping back a bit helps if a defender is trying to jam you.  So in that case, it would seem easier to just count the number of people you feel are "on the line".  Since you pretty much have to go down the line of scrimage and make a person-by-person decision.

But yeah, umpires all use a bit of their own vernacular, but it means the same thing.

[Bull-by-Marriage]

Thanks.

It is the same penalty. You need seven players lined up on the line of scrimmage, and if a team has five in the backfield obviously there can only be six on the line of scrimmage.

I know what it means. I was asking if they had changed the name. Up until this year, it was called Not enough men on the line of scrimmage. This year it's 5 lined up in the back field. Whatever you call it, it's a very subjective call. Tackles have been lining up more than a yard off for years now.

1 - It's technically an Illegal Formation.

2 - The "line" runs through the waist of the center.  As long as six other people are in a line with the center's waist, they are considered "on the line."

3 - The way the line judge and head linesman count is by counting the # in the backfield.  They look for four players or less (you can technically have as few as 1 - the QB - just no more than four).

So the official is just telling you how they know it was an Illegal Formation.

Before this year, when they said not enough men on the line, I knew why it was an illegal formation. I guess that they felt as though they needed to call it a different way. Why, I don't know.

[Bull-by-Marriage]

3 - The way the line judge and head linesman count is by counting the # in the backfield.  They look for four players or less (you can technically have as few as 1 - the QB - just no more than four).

Really?  I have never officiated football, so I certainly wouldn't know, but that seems an odd way to count them.  In most formations some receivers will be on the line (to total 7) and others will just be a step or so back.  Stepping back a bit helps if a defender is trying to jam you.  So in that case, it would seem easier to just count the number of people you feel are "on the line".  Since you pretty much have to go down the line of scrimage and make a person-by-person decision.

But yeah, umpires all use a bit of their own vernacular, but it means the same thing.

You can't have a "covered" player catch a pass, that's why some line up off the ball. I still say that it's subjective as to who is "on the line" and who is covered. I know that the wideouts will check with the line judge to make sure they aren't "covering" the end.

[Guest]

3 - The way the line judge and head linesman count is by counting the # in the backfield.  They look for four players or less (you can technically have as few as 1 - the QB - just no more than four).

Really?  I have never officiated football, so I certainly wouldn't know, but that seems an odd way to count them.  In most formations some receivers will be on the line (to total 7) and others will just be a step or so back.  Stepping back a bit helps if a defender is trying to jam you.  So in that case, it would seem easier to just count the number of people you feel are "on the line".  Since you pretty much have to go down the line of scrimage and make a person-by-person decision.

But yeah, umpires all use a bit of their own vernacular, but it means the same thing.

I did for a few years earlier this decade.

I can tell you it is easier to count to four than seven when you're watching for motions/shifts as well as offsides and the number of the "end" (the farthest person on the line - to make sure if the TE is "covered," he doesn't go down field).

Watch the LJ or HL sometime... when the closest WR to them is off the line, they raise their arm to shoulder height with a fist - called "punching back" so the other official knows that WR is off the line.

Basically, officials have about 1 second to count the players, and most people can count four with a single glance.