Pick/ rub pass plays

Born N Bled Red

All-Conference
I thought these were illegal, can someone enlighten me? On the big Mich St. Pass play in the early 4th, the ref watched Baptist get picked off his coverage. Is this just not enforced or am I mistaken?

 
Its been used against NU for the last three years and may have been called once. UCLA last year made a living off the pick play with Franklin against Compton.

 
Back in the 80's Hayden Fry used to run pick plays against us in every game we played against them, with a guy running wide open after his defender had been leveled by a tight end. They never got called for it so I guess nothing ever changes. I'm okay with Iowa now - but I'm still pissed at Fry.

 
So, how are you supposed to defend them?

Serious question.
I liken it to a moving screen in basketball. If the defender is p*ssy-footing around the illegal screen and never gets any contact, they are not going to call it. I think you have to continue your line of coverage and if you get picked and/or knocked down, it should be obvious and be called.

 
The only way to really defend it is for the defender to have his head on a swivel and that sucks cause they can't read the QB's eyes correctly. Refs don't call it nearly enough IMO.........

 
I agree officials don't call it nearly enough. This happens on the professional level even more, see Denver Broncos. (I don't have a dog in the NFL fight, I just happen to watch that game last night and saw it 10+ times).

 
It's one of those things that is illegal, but it's blurry and really difficult to enforce. We use them all the time too, and it's easy to develop route combinations with a justifiable excuse that that's just the way the receivers are running their routes.

 
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