The first stirring moment of the NFL’s season opener wasn’t some quarterback mastery or a thundering hit. It was three illegal formation penalties against the Ravens on their first seven plays. Then again late in the second quarter.
What gives?
The formation fouls were reviewed with teams “extensively” before, during and after training camps, according to Football Zebras, an NFL officiating account with more than 35,000 followers on X. The officiating-focused account said the NFL’s Competition Committee said the “bowing of the linemen” is an advantage in pass rush situations and needed to be addressed.
Players must have their helmet aligned with at least the belt line of the center to avoid being flagged.
The Ravens were the first victim of greater enforcement. Particularly Baltimore’s left tackle Ronnie Stanley who was responsible for three of the four calls in Thursday’s opening half. Right tackle Patrick Mekari took the other one. Kansas City did not receive an illegal formation call in the first half.
NBC color analyst Cris Collinsworth went as far as to note on the opening drive that the officiating crew was calling the penalty “razor-sharp.”
“In practice, we didn’t have that,” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said after the 27-20 loss that came down to the final play. “We had refs at practice and throughout camp and stuff like that, we rarely had a call like that. So for that to go down in a game like this, first game of the season, things happen.”
Usually a new rule/emphasis that has an adjustment period will go 2 or 3 weeks at most. The reason why it stops being called is that coaches don't have the patience for it to drag out 8 weeks and players figure out how to adjust/adapt https://t.co/fGOM6wVq1R
— Fᴏᴏᴛʙᴀʟʟ Zᴇʙʀᴀs
(@footballzebras) September 6, 2024
(@footballzebras) There are three main prongs to the official rulebook on illegal formation: teams must have seven or more players on the line, eligible receivers must be on both ends of the line with all the players between them ineligible and no player may be out of bounds.
All five offensive linemen must be aligned before the play otherwise they’re susceptible to a flag for illegal formation and a five-yard penalty.
Teams have gotten leeway in the past. Although maybe not Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor who, in 2023, was flagged for illegal formation three times in two weeks. His 20 infractions worth 140 yards led the NFL by a wide margin.
“It’ll be interesting to see if they call it the same way the whole season,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “I’ll challenge them to call it the same way they called it tonight the whole season. So hopefully they’ll be consistent about that.”
