[Giantone]

Originally Posted by FrenchSkin

Before the play, you can see the receiver checking with the official if he's on the line of scrimmage, the judge doesn't make the signal that he's in the backfield.
So the formation was deemed legal.

It would have been illegal if the judge had his arm extended toward the backfield, signaling the receiver was in the backfield.
Anyway, it didn't create another eligible receiver, since the man at the end of the line had an ineligible number, and would have had to report as eligible to the officials to be eligible. That wasn't the case.

So it's not like it created one more receiver to cover. It didn't change anything for the defense.

And again, on many plays you could say the receiver, or the tight end, or the tackle is lined up in the backfield, ultimately, the signal of the side judge is the reference for everybody. (Players and officials).

So once the official didn't make the signal that the receiver was in the backfield, there was no flag to be thrown.

I'm sticking with the expert on this one..


"FOX rules analyst and former NFL official Mike Pereira said Monday on a podcast that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles' fourth-down touchdown in Super Bowl LII was an illegal play."