Should the center raise his head straight ahead just prior to the snap?

[UKvisitor]

Notice this happened alot by UK in the UL-L game. Watched the replay twice. UL-L center usually kept his head straight from the moment he lined up.

Felt it gave the defense an edge. Up coming opponents would catch this.

 

[JPFisher]

I never played Center, but it seems like seeing your opponent from the snap would prove to be an enormous advantage versus having to bring your head up and losing that split second while trying to find them.

 

[UKvisitor]

I never played Center, but it seems like seeing your opponent from the snap would prove to be an enormous advantage versus having to bring your head up and losing that split second while trying to find them.

My comment was more on signaling the defense that you are snapping the ball in the next split second.

In that game, the center was looking back and brought his head up just B4 he snapped the ball.

UL-L center went to the line usually with his head up.

Watch the replay if you have it.

 

[KyCatFan]

We seem to mainly do it so that the ball can be hiked without needing to say anything. Just look back and watch for the signal that the qb is ready and then the center can look up at the defense and hike it when he feels ready. Probably helps eliminate false starts. I don't think Swindle had a single false start in that ULL game. He seemed to get them in most games last year.

 

[UKvisitor]

Yea on the Swindle false starts. Just don't like giving the defense a split second that UK is about to hike it. Negates any hurry up offense.

A quality center should only have to look back once, and then listen for the sounds (usually from the QB) to hike it.

Echo my thoughts on watching the replay and the UL-L center.

 

[Anjiejo]

Could be they wanted to get ready for the road games?? As long as the center keeps changing the snap count it shouldn't matter..

 

[I am stupid]

If Towles is in the shotgun and fans are cheering loudly, how will the center know when to snap the ball?

You can also use that to try to make them jump offsides. Simply let the CC do his normal motion, just not move.

 

[UKvisitor]

How many off sides in that 1st game? Center has ONE job, Know when and where to snap the ball in those seconds. Do that and you give your star players time to do their stuff. Practice really helps. You don't signal the D what you are going to do.

I am not a coach. I am just saying what I saw. So much blame on the QB but I looked at what else might be wrong.

 

[Chuckinden]

I have said that for years. The center is letting the defense know he is getting ready to snap the ball. I don't understand it all. Maybe someone who knows for sure can explain it.

 

[UKvisitor]

I have said that for years. The center is letting the defense know he is getting ready to snap the ball. I don't understand it all. Maybe someone who knows for sure can explain it.

I just hope UK corrects it. Other teams have. Our opponents will and Have exploited it. Bet this never escaped the OBC.

 

[fabcat]

UK's center is not the only one to do this. With teams in the gun it is common for centers to raise their head right before the snap. Not much they can do since a lot of snaps are done with a silent count. QB's give silent signal to centers either by lifting leg or with hand signal. They are then typically on a count of one or two seconds. Defensive linemen are taught to use their perifial vision to watch the ball for snaps instead of sound or watching a centers head coming up. They can't cross the LOS until the ball moves.

 

[UKvisitor]

UK's center is not the only one to do this. With teams in the gun it is common for centers to raise their head right before the snap. Not much they can do since a lot of snaps are done with a silent count. QB's give silent signal to centers either by lifting leg or with hand signal. They are then typically on a count of one or two seconds. Defensive linemen are taught to use their perifial vision to watch the ball for snaps instead of sound or watching a centers head coming up. They can't cross the LOS until the ball moves.

UL-L didn't have that problem with their center. What did you think their coaches told the d at half time? Just that stuff you saw on TV?

There is a replay of the game available if you want to watch the difference in the centers.

 

[fabcat]

Typically at halftime position coaches are more concerned with adjusting to how they are being blocked. Yes, they will talk briefly about snap tendencies, but they are really more concerned with how the Oline is blocking them.

 

[UKvisitor]

Typically at halftime position coaches are more concerned with adjusting to how they are being blocked. Yes, they will talk briefly about snap tendencies, but they are really more concerned with how the Oline is blocking them.

Is this a diversion comment or you want to get into to the conversation comment ? Talking here about centers lining up. Your invited.

 

[fabcat]

I don't see this as a big problem. A lot of teams that go on a reg cadence will go on the same number for the majority of the game which gives the same type tendency as center moving his head on silent count. I'm sure if our coaches see on film that it is a problem they will adjust to it.

 

[fabcat]

Is this a diversion comment or you want to get into to the conversation comment ? Talking here about centers lining up. Your invited.

No diversion comment at all. You asked what the coaches would say to their team at halftime. I've been in locker rooms at halftime with linemen and we were more concerned about how we were being blocked vs whether the center was lifting his head right before a snap.

 

[UKvisitor]

No diversion comment at all. You asked what the coaches would say to their team at halftime. I've been in locker rooms at halftime with linemen and we were more concerned about how we were being blocked vs whether the center was lifting his head right before a snap.

was your team on the end of a losing score at a SEC team @ their home stadium celebration?

 

[fabcat]

was your team on the end of a losing score at a SEC team @ their home stadium celebration?

 

[hmt5000]

if a team starts to jump the snap by watching the center im sure there is a delay call to get some offside calls. i've seen teams that do this appear to go to snap and then go back to looking at qb and starting over. im guessing we will do the same thing if a guy is watching the head instead of the ball.

 

[UKvisitor]

if a team starts to jump the snap by watching the center im sure there is a delay call to get some offside calls. i've seen teams that do this appear to go to snap and then go back to looking at qb and starting over. im guessing we will do the same thing if a guy is watching the head instead of the ball.

I started this commenting on the 1st game UK played and now it has become hypothetical. Simple question: Should a center raise his head at the defense just prior to the snap (i paraphrase) after looking at his ass?

 

[trav55]

I played center and most of the time in shotgun, I looked up several times. Defenses don't tend to show their blitzes until the ball is close to being snapped. So I had to look up and back down to the quarterback more than once. So I didn't snap it every time I looked up. Also, the quarterback normally had a signal for when the play was finally ready and I'd look up, wait a second or two depending on the count and then snap it. If you don't look back at the QB it's really hard to just snap it on touch hoping it gets to the quarterback. Also, a lot of these snaps aren't on a hard count, but a second or two after he lifts his leg once and then twice sometimes.

Also, yes, if the snap count never gets changed, which happens a lot unfortunately when the offense is trying to get into a rhythm, the defensive line is always taught to look at the ball. If you look at the QB, you'll probably be a step behind when the ball is snapped. At the same time, if you don't change the count, the defensive line will start to fire off like its a race and the count may as well be "ready set go" every time.

So, most of the time the center looks up several times, not once, and calls out the blocking assignments while reading the blitzes. I don't know if I explained it well but I hope this helps.

 

[UKvisitor]

I always thought that the center was the most difficult position to play in football. (played some military football but not center) The thought in this thread was why the UK center seems to signal the D with his head.

 

[Gary4UK]

I agree that the center sometimes gives the play away..... Teams like Alabama just line up and tell the other team to stop them... Teams like UK and others, I think need every edge they can get... I'm sure we have our way to draw them off sides, but you hardly ever see it, until we need some yards bad... It seems to me that we could draw the other team off side more, by them watching film, and for us to change our timing and cadence....

 

[UKvisitor]

Notice this happened alot by UK in the UL-L game. Watched the replay twice. UL-L center usually kept his head straight from the moment he lined up.

Felt it gave the defense an edge. Up coming opponents would catch this.

No one in this thread has admitted that the UL-L center was better than ours. The replay tells a different story. I can link you up, if you ask. (it is late and will probably be later in the this Sat)

 

[Gary4UK]

If you bring in the TV set... I'm still not admitting the UL-L center is better than ours...

 

[fabcat]

No one in this thread has admitted that the UL-L center was better than ours. The replay tells a different story. I can link you up, if you ask. (it is late and will probably be later in the this Sat)

Whether a center looks up right before the snap has nothing to do with how good he is. Toth is considered one of the best centers in college football.

 

[fabcat]

I started this commenting on the 1st game UK played and now it has become hypothetical. Simple question: Should a center raise his head at the defense just prior to the snap (i paraphrase) after looking at his ass?

Yes

 

[SosaUK]

How many off sides in that 1st game? Center has ONE job, Know when and where to snap the ball in those seconds. Do that and you give your star players time to do their stuff. Practice really helps. You don't signal the D what you are going to do.

I am not a coach. I am just saying what I saw. So much blame on the QB but I looked at what else might be wrong.

Umm, what about blocking?

 

[Johnfarrel]

Is the ULL center up for the Rimington Award? He would have to be to be in the same conversation with Kentucky's center.

 

[UKvisitor]

What is the most important part of a play in all of football? For me it is the snap. If that doesn't go right, nothing else matters. If it does, everything else may or not look great.