The NCAA rules Saturdays, while the NFL owns Sundays. That’s just the way it is.
Both levels hold a collective monopoly on all the football played across America on the weekends, and both have slight distinctions in how the game is played. One of these distinctions is how the quarterback hikes the ball.
In the NCAA, collegiate quarterbacks clap before signaling to their center to snap the ball. But in the NFL, pro quarterbacks use a cadence, which can identify the defense, allow many adjustments before the play, and help the rest of the offense sync up with the play’s timing by dictating when the ball will be snapped. A quarterback’s cadence includes the tone of their voice, what they’re saying and their body movements wrapped up into one.
Cadences are used in the NFL because the league has nearly completely eradicated the clap snap from its game.
In the 2019 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals took Kyler Murray with the first overall pick. Murray was a clapping culprit in college, as shotgun formations were prominent in Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense.
While he eventually found his cadence in the NFL, Murray was called for a false start twice for clapping in Arizona’s second preseason matchup of 2019.
But why? Why was Murray flagged for calling for the ball?
In the NFL, if the quarterback abruptly jerks his hands before the snap and causes the defensive line to jump offsides, then it’s a false start for the quarterback.
But that’s not the only problem with the clap snap count; it also has strategic disadvantages.
“The clap snap count is used primarily in college football,” former eight-year NFL guard Geoff Schwartz wrote for SB Nation. “The noise of the clap is supposedly crisper than the voice or, clearly, louder than a silent count. I think it’s pointless in the NFL.”
The clapping signal gives pass rushes a visual signal when the ball will be snapped, while the offensive line waits to hear the snap before shifting. That split second could be all an opportunistic defender needs before completely wrecking a play behind the line of scrimmage.
“Everyone hears the snap at the exact same time, even when noise isn’t an issue like at home,” Schwartz wrote. “I don’t like it.”
So, what’s the deal with the clap snap count? Is it any useful at all?
The NCAA’s biggest contests usually drive more fans to the stands than the NFL. Collegiate crowds are known for their overwhelming noise and overall rowdiness. While the offense might miss their quarterback yelling while surrounded wall-to-wall in a venue of 100,000 spectators screaming at the top of their lungs, it’s hard to miss a loud, booming clap.
Clapping takes control out of the quarterback’s hands to change the play and call an audible; it helps simplify the game for college quarterbacks who are still learning the ins and outs of football. Once the best of the best make it to the league, these quarterbacks begin to find their voice in the NFL.
Look no further than Jayden Daniels. The reigning Heisman trophy winner has already developed a cadence halfway through his rookie season that he utilizes in Washington’s home games.
So, while the clap snap count may be archaic in the NFL, NCAA quarterbacks will stick with it for the foreseeable future.