Football’s rules do not require the center to snap the ball through his legs, though that general technique is almost universal. An alternative form of center snap, the swinging gate, is known to anyone who played pickup football games. Now used primarily on trick plays by players who do not normally snap, the snapper stands at the line of scrimmage with shoulders perpendicular to the line. He snaps by swinging the ball across his front and back legs, releasing the ball toward the target.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Football Archaeology to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.