Help Understanding Offense Shift Rules

[Pats2000]

So I've seen the Pats run their goal line 4 tight end set two weeks in a row now. They shift from a traditional heavy front I formation with someone at fullback, to a single back spread offense I believe with 4 tight ends spread wide. When they do the shift, they shift two tight ends at a time to the LOS. I was looking up offensive shift rules and I thought they were saying that only one player is allowed to move on the offense at a time. When with this particular shift, there are two players moving at once. Does anyone know the rules regarding this type of offensive shift?

 

[dales804]

So I've seen the Pats run their goal line 4 tight end set two weeks in a row now. They shift from a traditional heavy front I formation with someone at fullback, to a single back spread offense I believe with 4 tight ends spread wide. When they do the shift, they shift two tight ends at a time to the LOS. I was looking up offensive shift rules and I thought they were saying that only one player is allowed to move on the offense at a time. When with this particular shift, there are two players moving at once. Does anyone know the rules regarding this type of offensive shift?

You can move more than one at a time but if you do, they have to come set before the ball is snapped. Unlike when just one man is in motion, you can snap the ball with them moving. Think Edelman coming across the formation for the jet sweep.

 

[nabwong]

^ what dales said... just like you can move multiple personnel when you flip the formation. You just can't snap the ball before you're set.

 

[Pats2000]

Ok, makes sense, I didn't think they had set for 2 seconds prior to the snap. But I was caught up in the game too, so I wasn't paying close attention either.