Former NFL Head Of Officiating Mike Pereira Says Eagles Should Have Been Penalized For Illegal Formation On ‘Philly Special’ Trick Play

During the Super Bowl, several people on the Internet questioned whether the Eagles lined up correctly on the Philly Special touchdown play in Super Bowl 52.

The refs on the field had to decide if wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was on the line of scrimmage, or behind the line of scrimmage, in which case the Eagles only had six players on the line and were in an illegal formation.

According to Pro Footall Talk The NFL viewed the ruling on the field a “judgement call” but Fox Sports rules analyst and former NFL head of officiating Mike Pereira disagrees with the league and believes the Eagles should have been penalized on the play.

Via Pro Football Talk

“I know the league came out and said that it’s a judgment call, which it is,”. “The down judge, who was the one that [the play] was on his side of the field, they felt that it was his judgment, and [receiver Alshon Jeffrey] was close enough. Well, he wasn’t. They lined up wrong.

“Not only that, it’s a trick play. And if you’re going to run a trick-type play, then you have to be lined up properly. You could either have six men on the line, or you could have an ineligible number lined up at the end of the line, which was the case. I know what the league has said, but they would have been a lot more comfortable if they would have called an illegal formation.

“We always use a yard [within the line of scrimmage], maybe a yard-and-a-half. But that’s two [yards], and even a little bit beyond two. It’s kind of one of those that has no effect on the play. I get it. But they didn’t line up properly. And it really should’ve been called

Here’s a visual representation of the play.

Too bad so sad for the Patriots.