eighsse2
Footballguy
I always like to think about loopholes in rules, and I'm wondering if this would be a good idea, or even viable at all (e.g., am I missing an obvious reason why it wouldn't work, or might it be addressed in the rulebook somehow already).
You have a 4th & 4. Long snapper hikes the ball to the punter.
Uh oh! It's a trick play! Players are running routes, and the punter has his arm cocked back looking for a receiver!
Linemen are rushing toward the punter to sack him.
At just the right moment, the punter instantly punts the ball. Maybe Australian style would be ideal to avoid a block, and if the plan works it doesn't matter if it's an awful punt. It could go 5 yards, or even be blocked. (But certainly better if he can get a decent punt off, in case the plan doesn't work.)
The point is, if I understand correctly, softly running into a passer after a pass is clearly not a penalty, but running into a punter at all is a 5-yard penalty, resulting here in a first down, no?
So you're hoping that a member of the defense runs into you, since he would normally not avoid running into a passer ... which the punter is, until the last second.
So I'm just curious. I doubt this would ever have a high enough likelihood of working, to be worth the dire consequences that may result. But, would it in theory work? Or would the rulebook prevent it altogether?
You have a 4th & 4. Long snapper hikes the ball to the punter.
Uh oh! It's a trick play! Players are running routes, and the punter has his arm cocked back looking for a receiver!
Linemen are rushing toward the punter to sack him.
At just the right moment, the punter instantly punts the ball. Maybe Australian style would be ideal to avoid a block, and if the plan works it doesn't matter if it's an awful punt. It could go 5 yards, or even be blocked. (But certainly better if he can get a decent punt off, in case the plan doesn't work.)
The point is, if I understand correctly, softly running into a passer after a pass is clearly not a penalty, but running into a punter at all is a 5-yard penalty, resulting here in a first down, no?
So you're hoping that a member of the defense runs into you, since he would normally not avoid running into a passer ... which the punter is, until the last second.
So I'm just curious. I doubt this would ever have a high enough likelihood of working, to be worth the dire consequences that may result. But, would it in theory work? Or would the rulebook prevent it altogether?
