In gridiron football, motion refers to the movement of an offensive player at the time of the snap.
While there are different rules regarding motion, most mandate that no more than one player may be in motion at the time of the snap,[1] and the player must not be an offensive lineman (typically, the player in motion is a wide receiver or running back).[2] Additionally, the NFL (professional), NCAA (college), and NFHSAA (high school) require that they be moving laterally or backwards; they are not allowed to be moving towards the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped.[3] The Canadian Football League allows for motion towards the line of scrimmage at the time of the snap,[4] as did the Arena Football League.[5] The Indoor Football League allows two offensive players to engage in forward motion.[6]