Early in the first quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia on Monday, the Crimson Tide sacked Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett for the fourth time this season, and it was big one for 14 yards.
But Georgia actually got a few of those yards back, thanks to an unexpected delay of game penalty against Alabama for “disconcerting signals.”
On 1st-and-10 from Georgia’s own 25-yard line, Alabama junior linebacker Henry To’oTo’o appeared to be fishing for a false start penalty against the Bulldogs’ offense, prior to Bennett getting sacked. To’oTo’o was clapping, but that was enough for the ACC officiating crew to deliver a delay of game penalty for “disconcerting signals,” moving Georgia from 2nd-and-24 to 2nd-and-19 on the next play.
DISCONCERTING SIGNALS RETURNS pic.twitter.com/nvjziwx2JR
— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) January 11, 2022
As the official explained:
“Prior to the ball being snapped, delay of game. Disconcerting signals, defense No. 10, clapping.”
Under the delay of game section of the NCAA’s rulebook, “Defensive verbal tactics that disconcert offensive signals,” like clapping, would fall under this penalty.
Disconcerting signals isn’t exactly a popular college football penalty, so naturally, fans watching the game had a lot of jokes about the uncommon call — including how that phrase would be a great name for a band.
