A CONTROVERSIAL NFL play invented by Galashiels man Richie Gray has divided America.

Former Scottish rugby player Gray spent part of the summer working with Philadelphia Eagles coaches to refine the technique which has been nicknamed the ‘brotherly shove’.

The play is legal and is called when a team is in need of a yard or less to get either a first down or plunge into the end zone for a touchdown.

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The quarterback stands under the center, who snaps him the ball.

Multiple players are positioned behind the quarterback and push and shove him for the little yardage needed.

The move has helped push the Philadelphia Eagles to the best record in American football with 10 wins and two defeats so far this season.

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And the play has now proved so successful that some pundits believe the league should ban it.

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, Gray said: "In the summer I got a call from Ted Rath [Philadelphia Eagles vice president of player performance] asking me to mainly work with the defensive group, discussing tackle technique and things like that.

"All of a sudden Jeff Stoutland, who is a legendary offensive line coach in the NFL, gave me a call.

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"He said when you're here we'd like you to come in for a day with us and look at this play. He said, 'I want you to come in, we'll rip it to bits, have a look at it and you give me your opinion on how you'd break it or make it better'.

"We spent a morning with all the offence coaches, which is literally about 30 guys, going over this play millimetre by millimetre, broke it down and built it back up."

The league's commissioner, Roger Goodell, is thought to be considering a vote among franchises on whether to ban the play for the 2024 season.

But Gray believes that the tactic should be allowed to continue.

He said: "Nick Sirianni, who's the head coach of the Eagles, said anyone can do this. It's not illegal, it's just the Eagles do it better than anyone else.

"Against Washington two or three weeks ago they set up for the sneak and then ran another play off it, so it became a phenomenal decoy. It's a real head-scrambler for defensive co-ordinators."

Any vote on the future of the brotherly shove would take place in the league's off-season.

By that time Philadelphia fans might be celebrating a second Superbowl for their team, aided by the man from Galashiels.

Gray added: "I'm incredibly lucky, and surrounded by some brilliant people. I love what I do, and that's the key. You've got to be passionate about what you do."