What is a snap infraction in college football?

Explaining what a snap infraction is in college football.

Have you ever been watching a college football game when the offense is penalized for a snap infraction and you had no idea what that meant?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. It turns out not every college football fan is aware of the infraction or what it means.

So what is a snap infraction in college football?

In short, it’s essentially a false start penalty on the center.

The center is allowed to move the ball and position it to his liking prior to getting set. But once the team is set, the ball can’t be moved without being penalized. That’s why the basic definition for a non-football expert is to call it a false start penalty on the center, even though it’s not technically a false start.

What it is moving the football or mimicking the snap before the ball is officially snapped. It’ll be a trick by the center to try and get the defense to jump offsides.

The center can’t move the ball forward as any slight movement will draw a flag from the referees for the dead-ball penalty that results in a five-yard penalty.

So there you have it. That’s what a snap infraction is in college football. Next time you hear the refs call a penalty for that, you can know what it means and impress your friends.

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