The rules in the NFL around offensive formations are stricter than those in lower levels of the game such as college.
While the rules are straightforward, the pressures of match situations do lead to players and teams committing the offence more regularly than they should
“If I’m a wide receiver and there’s a tight end on the line of scrimmage, I must be off the line of scrimmage. So I’ll check with the official, I’ll point back, I give him an indicator that I’m off,” added McGeoghan.
“He’ll say, ‘OK, you’re good’, and then we run the play. Maybe that same receiver lines up and he covers up the tight end where he’s actually on the line of scrimmage and the tight end is on the line of scrimmage.
“The tight end is illegal at that point. He cannot move down the field. Even if it’s a run play, it’s still a five-yard penalty.
“In the NFL, unlike college, they’re very stringent about the formations and details so that the product is what you see every single Sunday. There’s a lot more restrictions on your formations, your motions and shifts as there are at the NCAA collegiate level.
“Some guys get out there, they’re in a panic, they’re in a hurry, it’s two minutes, they’re dishevelled, and the simplest thing is getting lined up, but sometimes the simplest thing is not so simple.”
This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.
