New Rule On The QB Clapping Hands Before The Snap.

[King Colt]

The Cardinals QB was penalized twice for a motion that was ruled "jerky" or "sudden" when waiting for the snap last night vs. the Raiders. Between the reviewing PI calls and this clapping rule this could be a very critical season for a team in the playoffs if they for example are in the red zone and the QB gets called for improper clapping. Ridiculous. What prompted this clapping rule?

[PuntersArePeopleToo]

2 hours ago, King Colt said:

The Cardinals QB was penalized twice for a motion that was ruled "jerky" or "sudden" when waiting for the snap last night vs. the Raiders. Between the reviewing PI calls and this clapping rule this could be a very critical season for a team in the playoffs if they for example are in the red zone and the QB gets called for improper clapping. Ridiculous. What prompted this clapping rule?

It has always been the rule, not unnatural movement, if they clap in a flow it is fine. If they specifically change to clap its a false start. They can use their voice to draw offside but still cant jerk their head. It is same way a WR cant move on the line in a jerky fashion

[PrincetonTiger]

As @PuntersArePeopleToo said this is not a new rule

[King Colt]

3 hours ago, PuntersArePeopleToo said:

It has always been the rule, not unnatural movement, if they clap in a flow it is fine. If they specifically change to clap its a false start. They can use their voice to draw offside but still cant jerk their head. It is same way a WR cant move on the line in a jerky fashion

The talk for the best part of the day on radio nd all TV shows has been the two calls in the Cardinals game so that tells me there is a new interpretation of this rule. I don't recall this ever been called on hand movements being too jerky or fast.

[pacolts56]

[jameszeigler834]

17 hours ago, King Colt said:

The Cardinals QB was penalized twice for a motion that was ruled "jerky" or "sudden" when waiting for the snap last night vs. the Raiders. Between the reviewing PI calls and this clapping rule this could be a very critical season for a team in the playoffs if they for example are in the red zone and the QB gets called for improper clapping. Ridiculous. What prompted this clapping rule?

The NFL makes up all this Bullcrap rules as they go along.

[ColtsBlueFL]

18 hours ago, King Colt said:

The Cardinals QB was penalized twice for a motion that was ruled "jerky" or "sudden" when waiting for the snap last night vs. the Raiders. Between the reviewing PI calls and this clapping rule this could be a very critical season for a team in the playoffs if they for example are in the red zone and the QB gets called for improper clapping. Ridiculous. What prompted this clapping rule?

 

13 hours ago, King Colt said:

The talk for the best part of the day on radio nd all TV shows has been the two calls in the Cardinals game so that tells me there is a new interpretation of this rule. I don't recall this ever been called on hand movements being too jerky or fast.

 

As others have mentioned, it is not a new rule, just an adjustment period to determine what is and isn't 'crossing the line'.

 

The way he clapped really isn't all that uncommon among college quarterbacks.  But in the NFL, it could well be an infraction depending how it is done.  Murray said the officials told him it wasn’t that he clapped during the snap count out of the shotgun, it was how he clapped that drew the flags. The clapping was “too abrupt” and “not smooth enough as far as bringing my hands together.”

 

According to the NFL rule book, any quick or abrupt movement, such as that of a player in position to receive the snap in the shotgun formation — including “thrusting his hands forward when there is not a simultaneous snap” — is considered a false start.

"... any quick abrupt movement by a single offensive player, or by several offensive players in unison, which simulates the start of the snap, is a false start."

 

So getting a defense drawn offsides by (too) abrupt movements is a false start, in this case on the QB, and Murray/Kingsbury will have to figure out how and how much hand clap snap counts are legal.

 

Ex VP of officiating Dean Blandino-
"There is no prohibition against clapping. You just can’t do anything abrupt to try and draw the defense offside. The action has to be smooth and deliberate. They are calling it very tight on him. I didn’t think what he was doing was abrupt."

 

However, Murray associated it with using a 'hard count'.  So a line in the sand will be drawn at some point.

 

[Superman]

I don't think they'll ever call this on him again. 

[PuntersArePeopleToo]

16 hours ago, King Colt said:

The talk for the best part of the day on radio nd all TV shows has been the two calls in the Cardinals game so that tells me there is a new interpretation of this rule. I don't recall this ever been called on hand movements being too jerky or fast.

Its rarely been called in past, and I think they are doing it more to try to even out some of the new help the offense is getting give defense a better chance to not jump on a cheap move

[ColtsBlueFL]

2 hours ago, Superman said:

I don't think they'll ever call this on him again. 

 

Unless he gets more aggressive with it (almost into snap count trickery) I agree that will be the line in the sand of legality.  Blandino apparently agrees.