For those that are asking about the ref's involvement in the play, you should watch the interview with the coach and the kid who plays QB for the team that ran the trick play. During the interview, the coach made it clear that before every game, the coaches get a chance to talk to the referees about any 'trick plays' they may run, specifically so that they can make sure they are legal/allowable plays, and so that the ref's don't blow the play dead inadvertently if the play is called. That's precisely what the coach did prior to the game.
So again, I'll state that the play was known to the ref's, deemed legal, and then called/run by the team who did it. It was within the rules, with prior notice to the officials, and that's that.
Is a play like that within "the spirit of the game"? Even I don't think it really is ... but regardless, it was a legal play, and when you're in a competition with clearly defined rules (such as football, even at the Junior High level), then it's fair game.
Were I a coach, like 280rem is, I would also be spending 99.9% of my time working on the fundamentals and more orthodox plays ... but that doesn't mean that I would skip over educating my team about trick plays, and making sure they knew what to do in such situations.
That said, once more I'll ask to anyone who says that it was a "chickenschitt" call ... At what point (age or level of football) does it become "ok" to run such a play, or any really 'strange' trick plays such as this one?
