The ultimate trick play

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 2:39 am

If you've never been to footballresearch.com, check it out. It is the site of the Professional Football Researchers Association, and they have a ton of good reading up there.

Anyway, I was reading this article about the Oorang Indians, an NFL team from Marion, Ohio coached by Jim Thorpe and stocked entirely with American Indians (many of them Chippewa).

Their very first game was Oct. 1, 1922 against the Dayton Triangles.

Check out this play:

The most unusual Dayton touchdown was the last. After Huffine had scored the next-to-last TD, the Indians kicked off to Dayton. Gus Redmond caught the ball, but instead of running with it, he punted it right back to the Indians. This completely confused the tribe. One Indian touched the ball, and then Dayton's Glenn Tibb scooped it up and ran 41 yards to the end zone.

I have no idea if that would be a legal play anymore. But can you imagine trying that deep into a blowout win?

http://www.footballresearch.com/article ... pic=oorang

rc_ziggy84 · Post by **rc_ziggy84** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 5:16 am

I don't think so. My guess is that they would rule it as an intentional forward fumble. A really long one at that. I would be fun to see how people react. Three years ago (56-21) the Rockette's had a lot of trouble with receiving kickoffs, I wonder what they'd do. Oh well, at any rate I don't think it'd be legal.

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 4:44 pm

something tells me that it actually *IS* a legal play. I think its called a "free kick", which just isn't used after safeties. Its not like a forward fumble, but you're giving possession back to the kicking team. If they don't touch it, its downed and the play is over. Basically, just like a punt without the set play. I don't know what kind of formation you'd have to be in, or if there's an "illegal man downfield" call to go with it, but my gut instinct says this play is totally legit. (In fact, I think I've heard commentators half-heartedly suggesting it. If you pull it off, it can be a huge swing in field position, if not, you're giving a new set of downs, so the timing and execution would have to be PERFECT, but I think you can do it.)