In Memory of Walsh — The Wrong Ball Play

By Monday July 30, 2007

One of the great trick plays of High School Sports.



36 Comments
  1. BubbaRay says:
    7/30/2007 at 4:17 pm

    #20, Bobbo, A person stands up asking (the coach) for help and you are supposed to “hit” him?

    If you know the rules, yes. Hit him. Hard. Make him fumble. Take the ball away and head for the end zone. That’s the game, man, that’s the game. Tough? Without question. Entertaining? Ask the advertisers, it’s made more money for Budweiser than most sports, and people are injured in baseball, soccer, basketball, NASCAR, etc. daily.

    I’m not saying the video is any worthwhile tribute to Bill Walsh, but he would have probably been incensed with the ignorance of any team he coached that was so ignorant of the rules.

    As for advertising, now this is just scary:
    http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2006/1127/058.html

    Reply
  2. BobH says:
    7/30/2007 at 5:01 pm

    Somewhat like the Florida election. The Democrats and Republicans take the field. Both know the rules: the electoral vote is the final score. Republicans realize the opposition is going to squeeze out a victory because there aren’t enough gullible folks left for Bush to fool. Captain Karl calls for a Supreme Court press.

    Naive Democrats are dumbfounded when the tally is announced; but that’s because they didn’t study films of the contest in Illinois when Old Joe used the Daly home field advantage to upset Nixon.

    Is it cheating? Winning is knowing what you can get away with on any given night in America and being able to count on the opposition to be unaware you are willing to do whatever it takes.

    Ohio merely proved the public is slow to catch on — unlike the teams in the videos who will likely never fall for that stunt again.

    Legal?

    Reply
  3. bobbo says:
    7/30/2007 at 5:18 pm

    Once anyone says “its legal” after that, we are all agreeing on whether or not someone can “learn” from it, or that it is effective, thats the game, and all the rest.

    Hence “unethical” and “unsportsmanlike”–ie, if your only goal is to win, you will do that which is legal but unethical and unsportsmanlike as well.

    So==say something I disagree with??????? And when the 8 year old gets a fractured neck while asking for help, then we can say “Them’s the rules candyass!!!”

    Now, Bob H–you are running a totally different scrimage==breaking the law and making the bet you won’t get caught. Totally different and you wrote your piece with fully knowledge of that. Nice exercise though, the power of the written word and the allusions it build to an illusion of equivalence? You write like a tired spinmaster.

    Reply
  4. KVolk says:
    7/30/2007 at 5:56 pm

    If you were a more aware coach you would have coached your players to at least slid down the line to make sure that he couldn’t just run with out any being able to hit him immediately. Once the play starts you can’t stop playing until it’s whistled dead and all the other team is doing is bitching for getting caught with their mental pants down….ever been checkmated in three moves?…no different.

    Reply
  5. BobH says:
    7/30/2007 at 6:48 pm

    I’ll grant you the “tired”.

    Spinmaster? I confess to some years as a copywriter at a couple of small radio stations many years ago.

    My observation was tiny too: I’ll bet not a single kid on the opposition will forget that play while voters fall for deception every time.

    Reply
  6. Mr. Fusion says:
    7/30/2007 at 8:26 pm

    #21, Bubba, I have to disagree.

    If you know the rules, yes. Hit him. Hard. Make him fumble. Take the ball away and head for the end zone. That’s the game, man,

    No that isn’t the game. In our striper league that play isn’t allowed, it would have been a 15 yard penalty. The situation must be made clear when and when not the QB may be hit. This QB would have been penalized for taking advantage of his protected position just the same as the opposing player that hits him needlessly.

    With young players the GOAL is to have fun and win playing football. It isn’t to see if you can “fool” the other team. If they had of blitzed the QB and injured him, there would have been hell to pay. And that hell would NOT have been chalked up to “that’s the game, man”.

    Reply
  7. ECA says:
    7/30/2007 at 9:07 pm

    Ok,
    I have to ask this, esp of those older folks out there…
    When we were younger and being Taught to be nice and Pure…
    To be Fair, and considerate…

    WHY in the Hell didnt someone teach the other kids, that NOW are trying to control this Gov??
    Or the corporate Jungle and back stabbing Idiots, and CEO’s…

    I would rather teach the kids to KNOW, and understand the TRICKS, in a few games…then to make then Passive Sheep later in life.
    These are Life lessons. Teach them how to fight back, KNOw the rules, and either take advantage of them, or KNOW how to Right the wrongs.

    Reply
  8. Dauragon88 says:
    7/31/2007 at 4:07 am

    15.

    I think Dvorak hit the nail on the head.

    Imagine what people thought about the first guy to throw a curveball.

    “MY GOD, He tricked the batter! he didn’t throw the ball straight into his bat! how unsportsman like!”

    Reply
  9. Noam Sane says:
    7/31/2007 at 5:38 am

    This is absolutely hilarious. And brilliant.

    The sneaky coach helped the opposing team learn something, in a way that they will never forget; he did them a favor.

    Reply
  10. Mr. Fusion says:
    7/31/2007 at 5:42 am

    #28, Duaragon,

    The curve ball originated at the same time as rules governing baseball were originating. The aim of the pitched ball was never to throw the ball into the bat, it has always been to hit the thrown pitch.

    Reply
  11. Mr. Fusion says:
    7/31/2007 at 5:44 am

    #29, Noam

    The sneaky coach helped the opposing team learn something, in a way that they will never forget; he did them a favor.

    So if I lifted your wallet, I could claim I was also teaching you a lesson. Would you consider that a favor?

    Reply
  12. Olo Baggins of Bywater says:
    7/31/2007 at 5:51 am

    From another blog:

    As a former trainer for football officials, if the crew was ROUTINELY allowing something like this to pass as a legal snap, I know at least 4 (assuming a full youth crew) that would be reviewing and explaining a legal snap at the next officials meeting. Officials that legitimately miss a call can be forgiven, not knowing or enforcing rules because they don’t like them (vs making judicious calls based on ADVANTAGE / DISADVANTAGE) just doesn’t cut it.

    Another poster:
    Deadball unsportsmanlike conduct 15 yard penalty in HS and Pop Warner/Youth ball in every state that I’ve worked (IL, KY, AZ, CA, SC). If a team needs trick plays of this type, they generally aren’t very good. Trick plays that rely on the offense to deceive the defense after the snap (draws, statue of liberty, reverses, throwbacks) are LEGAL and based on execution and good coaching; pretending that the ball isn’t about to be snapped or that there is a problem that would keep the ball dead are nothing more than adult coaches looking for a chicken***t advantage because they can’t coach the team to run LEGAL trick plays. Second point after watching the play closer– dead ball illegal snap (5 yds) the snap must be a single continuous motion away from the line of scrimmage. The snapper (center) picks the ball up and turns around to sand the ball to the QB. A good umpire shuts this play down before the QB and coach can complete the intended “something’s wrong with the ball” deception. Poor coaching from a sportsmanships and execution perspective.

    Among amateur refs there is some disagreement whether this is a legal snap. Clearly it is not legal in NCAA and NFL, but other leagues don’t have those specific snap rules. Lots of refs will call it, others will not. BTW, I agree with the second quote.

    Reply
  13. BubbaRay says:
    7/31/2007 at 8:30 am

    #26, Mr. Fusion, I’m not condoning violence in sports, but football is a violent sport. And high school football ain’t Pop Warner. I’ll just reference “Friday Night Lights” and let it go at that. If you’re a high school linebacker and don’t try to make the QB fumble, you’ll sit on the bench.

    I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s the way it is — “that’s the game.” Just ask Lawrence Taylor, Mean Joe Green, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, et al. about “going for the quarterback.”

    And today’s rules about “putting a skirt” on the QB are IMHO sometimes a good thing — who wants to run a business and lose the big star to injury?

    But a trick play that’s legal at the time is part of “the game.” And the defense should have tackled the QB.

    We’ll just agree to disagree.

    Reply
  14. ECA says:
    7/31/2007 at 1:13 pm

    31,
    ITS NOT that you picked my pocket…
    Its that I LEARNED that I put my wallet in my FRONT pocket, while in the MALL…
    I have no choice if you pick my pocket, I have I choice IF I want to CATCH you at it.

    Reply
  15. Thomas says:
    7/31/2007 at 5:04 pm

    It is preposterous to think this play was “unethical”. If the refs were aware (almost assuredly had to be notified) and no whistle is blown, then it is nothing more than a trick play. Is a play action pass unethical? Is a draw play unethical? The ancient art of war (and football) is deception. It happens all the time in sports.

    However, let me tell you from personal experience, it can end ugly for the guy that tries this against someone (like me) that is not fooled. I bet that guy’s ears are still ringing.

    #14
    > This play is illegal in pro games, even I know that and I’m a brit.

    The way the ball was snapped, yes this would not be allowed in the NFL. However, I have seen similar plays, in the NFL when the ball was snapped through the centers legs.

    #26

    > With young players the GOAL is to have fun and win playing football
    > . It isn’t to see if you can “fool” the other team.

    What a clueless statement. Clearly you never played organized football. Deception is as core a part of football as blocking, tackling, throwing and catching. Fakes, fake punts, play-action, reverses, double-reverses, flea-flickers etc are all meant to deceive the defense.

    Reply
  16. Jerk-Face says:
    7/31/2007 at 5:08 pm

    35. “It is preposterous to think this play was “unethical”.”

    I totally agree. All is fair in love, war, and American sports. The point is to win folks, and lets face it, even the snap itself is intended to trick the other side. Is the snap unethical?! Should the offense tell the defense when they’re going to snap the ball and where they’re going to throw it?! God, what nonsense.

    Reply

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