very Team A player must be positioned as either a back or a lineman. There are no exceptions. So, at the snap when a Team A player meets neither definition, by rule you have an illegal formation. Since football officiating is grounded in the principle of advantage-disadvantage, let’s finish up this "no man’s land" discussion with a few thoughts on Team A gaining an unfair advantage.
Final thoughts on no man's land
A player in no man’s land can create confusion as to which player is actually on the end of the line and therefore eligible.
Is it the intent of Team A to deceive the defense with this technically illegal formation, or is it just lazy, sloppy execution by Team A?
Continued...
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