I know on one RPO, one of their linemen was five yards downfield, got caught doing it, and the flag came out. I think Mullen hinted that he could be two yards downfield? What does the rulebook say, versus what officials will generally allow? - teaysvalleyhokie
I was going to say I resent the implication that what officials call could ever be in conflict with the rule book, but then I remembered the shorty-shorts that pass as knee-pad-containing football pants these days, and decided to let that comment slide. More on those knee pads later, though. Stay tuned.
Anyways, back to the task at hand: identifying ineligible receivers downfield.
The Play: 1st and 10 Syracuse from their own 10 yard line, just over 13 minutes to go in the 2nd. QB Garrett Shrader runs a playaction/RPO-type play. Coming off his first read, he takes an extra hitch before rifling a pass complete over the middle for a 19-yard gain. As Shrader’s releasing the ball, LT Enrique Cruz, Jr. (#70) wins perhaps his only contest all night against Antwuan Powell-Ryland (#52), driving APR well into the defensive backfield. A flag comes in late for an ineligible receiver downfield.
Officials Involved: Line Judge (LJ), Head Linesman (HL)
The Rule: Ineligible Receiver Downfield 7-3-10
“No originally ineligible receiver shall be or have been more than three yards beyond the neutral zone until a passer throws a legal forward pass that crosses the neutral zone. A player is in violation of this rule if any part of their body is beyond the three-yard limit.”
The Neutral Zone 2-17-1a
“The neutral zone is the space between the two scrimmage lines extended to the sidelines. (Rule 2-21-2) Its width is equal to the length of the ball.”