Ask Farmer: Why does the referee have to announce an eligible receiver? Why not make the defense figure it out?
Why does the referee have to announce “Number 65 is reporting as an eligible receiver”? Why not make the defense figure out who’s eligible pre-snap?Kenny MayneSeattleFarmer: First, let’s establish what defines an eligible and ineligible receiver. An offense is required to have at least seven players on the line. The players widest to the right and left are eligible receivers; the others — typically two tackles, two guards, and a center — are not. Anyone on the line of scrimmage but inside the right-most or left-most…