The NFL has good years and bad years.  This was a bad year.  It was clear refs collectively allowed 2 things this year they hadn't in the past:
1. Offensive tackles were allowed to move on the snap command long before the ball was actually snapped.

2. Defensive linemen were allowed to line up with heads and sometimes hands in the neutral zone.

If you get away with it, you continue to do it.  Refs have to throw the flag until it's an ESPN headline if you want to keep the game "pure".  Or change the rules.  But not knowing how a game will be called is a ripe environment for corruption.

meanmutton: Nana's Vibrator: The NFL has good years and bad years.  This was a bad year.  It was clear refs collectively allowed 2 things this year they hadn't in the past:
1. Offensive tackles were allowed to move on the snap command long before the ball was actually snapped.

2. Defensive linemen were allowed to line up with heads and sometimes hands in the neutral zone.

If you get away with it, you continue to do it.  Refs have to throw the flag until it's an ESPN headline if you want to keep the game "pure".  Or change the rules.  But not knowing how a game will be called is a ripe environment for corruption.

3. Offensive linemen allowed to line up well off the line of scrimmage.

Yes.  The rule was that only part of your body needs to break the plane of one teammate lined up inside.  A V-like formation was OK as long as there was a connection.  Now they practically line up in the backfield with nothing connecting their plane to the center's.

knbwhite: Nana's Vibrator: The NFL has good years and bad years.  This was a bad year.  It was clear refs collectively allowed 2 things this year they hadn't in the past:
1. Offensive tackles were allowed to move on the snap command long before the ball was actually snapped.

2. Defensive linemen were allowed to line up with heads and sometimes hands in the neutral zone.

If you get away with it, you continue to do it.  Refs have to throw the flag until it's an ESPN headline if you want to keep the game "pure".  Or change the rules.  But not knowing how a game will be called is a ripe environment for corruption.

You could be correct about heads and hands in the neutral zone, but it was pointed out to me a long time ago about the center stretching the ball forward. The neutral zone is where the ball was. If the center scoots the ball forward a bit, it's gonna look like the D is in the zone.

This is also correct.  The center is allowed to adjust the ball for grip but sure enough they'll line up almost like a frog instead of a stance and while they "adjust the ball for grip" they end up sliding forward.

In the older days some defenses would huddle right at the ball and the D tackles would break the huddle and turn around and pretend to clumsily kick it and reset it a few ticks back toward the offense while they were still in a huddle.

/Game of inches

mattgsx: rickythepenguin: Nana's Vibrator: It was clear refs collectively allowed 2 things this year they hadn't in the past:

what i find odd, re the NFL rule on seven players must be on the offensive *ahem* line, is the wedge-ish formation where the guards and tackles are sagged 2' each, respectively, behind the center.  then, you'll sometimes see a TE, equally sagged off.

and then, when the WR isn't quiiiiiiiiiiiite lined up with the center, who gets flagged for illegal formation?  the WR.  Happened either this week or last in a prime time game.  the "7 men on the offensive line" rule is getting really weird, for some teams.

but yeah, if they don't call it, fine.

Your receiver widest out on each side has to be on the LOS. All other eligible receivers have to be in the backfield. If there are any players between the TE and wide receiver on the line it's an illegal formation.

To your point tho, yes, the wedges are getting out of control. Tackles are playing way too far back and it causes too much confusion whether TEs are actually along the LOS or in the backfield.

There just have to be 2 ends covering the tackles on each side, no more, no less, but they can stand anywhere on the line of scrimmage from the tackle to the sideline (exceptions in offset formations, but there still just need to be 7 players on the line of scrimmage)

If there's a wide receiver (y or flanker or whatever the local offense wants to call him) on the tight end side, only one of those 2 has to cover the tackle - the other one can't break the plane of a LOS guy.  But they do it often and it never gets called.  When the two of them shift for coverage they never set for one second before one goes in motion.  It literally never gets called.

/Also, backs in motion often angle forward toward the LOS before the ball is snapped and that never gets called either.