after the center touches the ball

[oakwoodalumni56]

If the center touches the ball after the play clock has started and moves it then releases it is it considered a live ball? Fannindales center grabbed then released it and oakwood player grabs it and runs for a touchdown. It's blown dead and oakwood gets a flag for delay of game. What is the right call on that?

 

[fencewire]

Several points to consider and it is hard to be definitive without seeing something like this.

1) the center can touch the ball and adjust it so he is comfortable as long as he isn't picking the ball up.

2) he can release the ball, as long as he does so in a manner that does not simulate the start of the play

3) if he moved the ball in a manner that simulated the snap and brought it back (double clutch) that is an illegal snap

4) the defense cannot slap, hit, etc the ball during the snap

So, any illegal snap/false start by the offense would be a dead ball foul, so anything that he did illegal (center) would have killed the play.

So if the defender just grabbed the ball and took off, they could have flagged him for either offsides or delay of game for running off with the ball. 5 yards either way.

 

[ZeroRisk]

I've seen a lot of that in the last few years in the six-man ranks -- coaches who have taught their kids to slap at the ball or otherwise try to disrupt the snap when they think that the center has done something illegal. As fencewire stated, however, any illegal action by the center regarding the snap should result in a dead-ball foul against the offense.