📍 IntroductionIn American football, the line of scrimmage is sacred. Inches matter. Timing is everything. And when something goes wrong before the snap, two of the most common flags hit the turf: false start and offside. They may look similar, but the consequences, signals, and judgment behind each call are distinctly different. Let’s break it down — from a referee’s point of view. 🚩 What Is a False Start? A false start occurs when an offensive player moves illegally before the snap. Most often, it’s a lineman flinching, a receiver shifting forward too early, or even a quarterback jerking before the ball is ...