On Sunday night, Detroit took the opening drive down the field and scored a touchdown. Until they didn’t.

A trick play on fourth and goal from the one, featuring quarterback Jared Goff going in motion before (barely) catching a touchdown pass from running back David Montgomery, was wiped out by a penalty. Illegal motion.

Five yards. The Lions settled for a field goal.

The relevant provision (as confirmed by the NFL) appears at Rule 7, Section 4, Article 2, Item 3: “It is legal for a T-Formation Quarterback to go in motion, whether he has placed his hands under center, on his knees, or on the body of the center. However, it is a false start if the action is quick and abrupt. If the player fails to come to a complete stop for at least one full second prior to the ball being snapped, it is

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