I don't understand the penalty.
Educate me please.
Here is what happened.
The penalty was ILLEGAL SHIFT. Multiple players can move and shift pre-snap, as long as they ALL come to a stop for 1 second. In addition, one player can be in motion at the time of the snap.
The players at the top of the screen are Malachi Toney and Vandrevius Jacobs. They switch as follows: (a) Toney is on the line and Vandrevius Jacobs is in the backfield, and they switch those roles, and (b) they both split out wider, Toney by a little and Jacobs by a lot. BOTH PLAYERS REMAIN SET FOR AT LEAST ONE SECOND.
In the center, Fletcher switches sides and Mensah goes up to the line and back. BOTH PLAYERS REMAIN SET FOR AT LEAST ONE SECOND.
The players at the bottom are Cooper Barkate and Elija Lofton. Similar to Toney and Jacobs, they both swith positions as follows: (a) Lofton is on the line and Barkate is in the backfield, and they switch those roles, and (b) Barkate splits out wider AND Lofton both drops in the backfield AND goes in motion.
HERE IS THE ERROR: Lofton, when he is on the line, has his left foot forward and his right foot back. When he adjusts into the backfield, he again has his left foot forward and his right foot back, but then decides he needs his right foot forward and his left foot back. UNFORTUNATELY, as he makes this adjustment, HE NEVER COMES TO A FULL STOP BEFORE HE THEN GOES IN MOTION. Thus, all of his cumulative movement, the drop back to the backfield, the foot shifting, and the lateral motion ARE ALL A PART OF THE SAME SET OF MOVEMENTS WITHOUT EVER COMING TO A STOP FOR ONE SECOND BEFORE GOING INTO MOTION.
The penalty was on Lofton.