Expert: Vic Winnek - 9/22/2010

Question
During overtime of a college football game, the long snapper was called for illegal snap. He picked the ball up moved it to another location before snapping, snapped the ball the field goal was made. When the center moves the football this should put it into play.(no matter what he does with it.)What would constitute this as an illegal snap. The kicking team received a yardage penalty and was forced to rekick.

Answer
Scott
Thanks for the question.  The play you describe was correctly ruled a snap infraction which is a dead ball foul penalized 5 yards from the sucedding spot.  The Ball is never live and the snap because it was not "legal" is deamed never to have occured.  The snapper, after assuming his position for the succeeding snap may not move to a different position nor may he move the ball.  The snap must be in a single fluid continous backward movement.  The snapper shifting or moving the ball or moving his thumb or fingers, flexing his elbows, jerking his head, or dipping his shoulders or buttocks is considered a false start and deemed a snap infraction if the ball is moved or a false start if the snapper moves.

I will try to explain your play step by step to give you a good understanding of the rule and why it is a foul.  First the snapper [long snapper] positioned over the ball must snap the ball legally.  You indicate that the snapper "picked the ball up moved it to another location before snapping".  This is not permited. When the snapper "picked up the ball and moved it to another location", that action constitutes a foul.  

Rule 7 provides: The The ball shall be put in play by a legal snap unless the rules provide for a legal free kick (A.R. 4-1-4-I and II).
PENALTY—Dead-ball foul. Five yards from the succeeding spot. After the ball is ready for play and before the ball is snapped:
 (a) The snapper, after assuming his position for the succeeding snap and touching or simulating (hand[s] at or below his knees) touching the ball, may not move to a different position.
 (b) The snapper may not lift the ball, move it beyond the neutral zone or simulate the start of a play.
 (c) The snapper may take his hand(s) off the ball if it does not
simulate the start of a play.

Here are some examples from the approved rulings:

Snapper A61 snaps the ball before the ball is made ready for play. A2 muffs the snap and B1 recovers the ball. RULING: Dead-ball foul, Team A snap infraction. Penalty—Five yards from the succeeding spot, Team A’s ball. The ball does not become alive, and all action should be stopped immediately by the game officials.   

Snapper A67 touches the ball and then releases it to communicate
with teammate A1. RULING: The snapper may release the ball after
touching to communicate with a teammate.

Snapper A61 lifts or moves the ball forward before backward motion
of the snap. B2 bats the ball, causing it to roll loose with B3
recovering. RULING: Team A foul, illegal snap, ball remains dead.
Penalty—Five yards from the succeeding spot (Rule 4-1-1).

I hope this answers your question.  You need to understand the foul occured before the snap oe the split second the illegal snap/ snap infraction occured and therefor the play is dead and the ball was never put into play and thus there can be no play.  So you must disregard the kick in this play.

Victor Winnek
NCAA Football Official