Interesting point. Based on the Louisville game, we should have been more involved.
I think what he's asking is why can't every player on offense be eligible. It seems most likely that this rule is in place so that in the unlikely event Rutgers scores a touchdown on a perfectly-executed fake field goal to take a sizable lead in a game that would send them to a BCS bowl, the officials have something they can use to negate the touchdown, even if none of the ineligible players were actually downfield.
LOL! [thumb2] Seriously, it's what RU76 stated: "Pass defenders will be covering ineligible receivers."
Except linemen wouldn't be linemen anymore, they'd be more like tight ends and wide receivers. No need for big men.
The thing about this is that the unblocked D-linemen would make a bee-line for the QB, thus negating the advantage of the confusion in the secondary.
It also might have been put in place when players didn't have numbers on their uniforms, since not only would the refs be confused, the DBs would, too. But the counter argument to this is that if the linemen went downfield at the snap of the ball, the QB would be blown up long before the linemen were downfield.
Watching their specific players. The different referees on the field have responsibilities to watch specific areas of the field and specific positions. Many times I have deal with a referee, or side judge, or back judge, or umpire, who had something happen right in front of him but was watching his specific area and missed it.
Why don't they make defenders yell, "Blitz!!" before rushing before the end of counting 5 Mississippis?
Except they do get to obliterate them on running plays when they pull, and the defensive ends would destroy the QB before the O-linemen got ten yards downfield.
Tiny little detail, huh?
Maybe Flood would have stood a better chance at having an offense that would be able to move the ball down field by having everyone go down field for passes.
The issue is that they are penalized for being downfield at all (beyond three yards when the ball passes the LOS) on a pass play. Two sets of rules in effect--illegal lineman downfield, and ineligible receiver was brought into the conversation based on my original question. But the original issue still is somewhat of an enigma, that linemen aren't allowed downfield on passing plays but are allowed on running plays. My point is that if it favors the offense that more players are in the defensive secondary, the very same thing favors the defense by getting immediate pressure on the QB when the O-linemen go downfield.
