“Man they are not messing around with these tackles alignments” Jason Kelce quipped on X, capturing the essence of the NFL’s 2024 season opener. Little did he know, his observation would become the night’s refrain as the game unfolded into a yellow-flag fiesta.

The Baltimore Ravens found themselves trapped in a penalty box of their own making, drawing five illegal formation flags. Four of these penalties were accepted by the Chiefs, repeatedly gumming up Baltimore’s offensive works in their 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The opening drive set the tone for the night’s whistle symphony. In a span of just seven snaps, the Ravens were dinged three times for illegal formation. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley bore the brunt, flagged twice, while right tackle Patrick Mekari got his share of the pie. Despite the setbacks, the Ravens managed to cap the drive with a Derrick Henry touchdown run, proving they could overcome the officials’ newfound zeal.

In fact, Football Zeal on X also reported, “The formation fouls were reviewed with teams extensively before, during, and after training camps by the officiating department. The bowing of the linemen is an advantage in pass rush situations, and the Competition Committee said it had to be shut down.” 

But the flags kept coming. Stanley drew another penalty late in the second quarter, this time stalling a potential scoring drive. The infraction negated a 9-yard passing gain on second-and-12 at the Kansas City 39-yard line, ultimately leading to a missed 53-yard field goal attempt by Justin Tucker. In total, Stanley was flagged four times for the same infraction in the first half alone, turning the game into a stop-start affair that tested fans’ patience.

According to the NFL rulebook, seven players must be on the line of scrimmage before the snap. The combination most often seen is of five offensive linemen, two receivers, running backs, or tight ends. This means offensive tackles have to position their helmet at the waist of the center before the snap, giving them enough space (a step or two) behind the line in anticipation of a pass rush. This was a gray area until now, and Stanley, like many offensive tackles do, was taking an extra step back to give himself an advantage against opposing pass rushers.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, his frustration palpable, threw down the gauntlet post-game. “They put a thing out there that they said they’d call it differently,” he told reporters, his words dripping with barely concealed exasperation. “I think understanding how differently we were the first offensive series of the season with that. I think they saw probably everyone watching it.

It’ll be interesting to see if they call it the same way the whole season, and I’ll challenge him to call it the same way they called it tonight the whole season. So, hopefully, they will be consistent about that.”

Remember last year? The season opener regular-season game between the Chiefs and Lions had a huge headline when the Chiefs’ starting RT Jawaan Taylor was heavily criticized for lining up illegally. Only that time, it was being flagged as heavily by the referees that time. NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay then stated,

“To be on the line of scrimmage, his helmet has to break the waist line of the center. And to be honest, we’ve watched him the whole game, he’s really not remotely close. And it’s really putting the defender at a tremendous disadvantage when he can be that far back.”

The NFL’s whistle-happy New World and what to expect of it?

The crackdown on illegal formations isn’t a bolt from the blue. According to Ari Meirov, the NFL’s officiating department extensively reviewed illegal formation penalties with all 32 teams before, during, and after training camps. The focus? The “bowing” of linemen, which provides an advantage in pass-rush situations – a practice the Competition Committee decided needed to be nipped in the bud.

The penalties were often borderline, with Stanley’s feet appearing to be in the right spot. Had he leaned forward like some of his offensive line counterparts, his helmet would have likely aligned properly. But he stood upright, and the flags flew. This emphasis on illegal formations reflects a broader trend in the NFL. As the game has evolved over the past 60 years from run-heavy offenses to more pass-oriented schemes, coaches have constantly innovated to stay ahead of defenses. So, are fans of the sport supposed to expecting a streak of penalties ruling this season? Yes and no.

The penalties aren’t going away any way soon. But this doesn’t mean that it should see a heavy impose throughout the season either. The first week of regular-season action has always set the tone, and what we saw on Thursday is more of a slap on the wrist for players as well as officiating crews. After all, these creative formations must still abide by the basic rules – a balance the league is trying to maintain.

As the 2024 season kicks off, all eyes will be on the officials. Will they maintain this razor-sharp focus on formations, or was this opening night spectacle a one-time show? One thing’s for sure – John Harbaugh and the Ravens won’t forget this penalty-laden baptism into the new season anytime soon. And as for the other 30 NFL teams watching from home? They’re undoubtedly taking notes, hoping to avoid becoming the next example in the league’s new, whistle-happy world.