Eliminating Hits With Helmet, One Angle At A Time

[pbmax]

So they almost passed a rule on banning hits with the helmet.

Instead they passed a rule that outlaws a helmet hit if you lower your head first.


“It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent,” the new rule says, according to the NFL. “The player may be disqualified. Applies to any player anywhere on the field.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/03/27/nfl-passes-rule-against-lowering-head-to-initiate-contact-with-helmet/

[pbmax]

Brian McCarthy @NFLprguy
Playing Rule Article 8: It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent. The player may be disqualified. Applies to any player anywhere on the field. The player may be disqualified.


Everyone on Twitter is screaming about judging intent (reading, too much I think, into the "initiate and make" portion of the helmet hit.

The real problem will be "may be disqualified". That is zero standard for when they get disqualified.

[Fosco33]

I'd be fine w/ much less protective helmets - make people think before tackling.

[gbgary]

so keep your head up. should be simple for the players to apply.

[gbgary]

I'd be fine w/ much less protective helmets - make people think before tackling.

if the last few years of concussion news doesn't make players think nothing will. an ejection should put a period on it.

[Teamcheez1]

Brian McCarthy @NFLprguy
Playing Rule Article 8: It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent. The player may be disqualified. Applies to any player anywhere on the field. The player may be disqualified.


Everyone on Twitter is screaming about judging intent (reading, too much I think, into the "initiate and make" portion of the helmet hit.

The real problem will be "may be disqualified". That is zero standard for when they get disqualified.

It seems to be working fine in college, the pro's can do the same thing.

Too many tacklers are still "targeting" in the NFL. Without a rule change and some consequences, it won't stop.

[Joemailman]

So a running back who lowers his head as he lunges forward on 4th and 1 can now be ejected? So much for pad level.

[MadScientist]

So a running back who lowers his head as he lunges forward on 4th and 1 can now be ejected? So much for pad level.

Only if he's lowering his head to make contact with his helmet, not if he's trying to minimize his chances of getting hit. It should be pretty obvious to see an attacking vs a defensive lowering of the head.

[gbgary]

Only if he's lowering his head to make contact with his helmet, not if he's trying to minimize his chances of getting hit. It should be pretty obvious to see an attacking vs a defensive lowering of the head.

right. if he's using his head as a weapon. marshawn lynch. lol

[Joemailman]

Only if he's lowering his head to make contact with his helmet, not if he's trying to minimize his chances of getting hit. It should be pretty obvious to see an attacking vs a defensive lowering of the head.

OKay, but in a short yardage situation, with most of the defense near the goal line, I just think collisions with the helmet are going to happen. If a RB lowers his head to burst through a gap, and a linebacker or Safety fills the gap, will the officials then have to determine what the RB's intentions were in a split-second situation?

[pbmax]

It seems to be working fine in college, the pro's can do the same thing.

Too many tacklers are still "targeting" in the NFL. Without a rule change and some consequences, it won't stop.

I agree. Even the resident ref boo birds covering the Badgers football team have come around on the targeting rule. They still think its enforced unevenly, but agree with the rule's intent.

But the NFL has made the ejection optional. Which is stupid and can't be the entire story. There has to be some standard. Otherwise who knows what to do?

[KYPack]

I can see all the bad calls and endless re-plays this would generate.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Now we know what is replacing the Catch/No Catch rule controversy.

[Zool]

Does this cover interior lineman as well?

[hoosier]

So they almost passed a rule on banning hits with the helmet.

Instead they passed a rule that outlaws a helmet hit if you lower your head first.

So much for pad level....

EDIT: I see Joe beat me too it. So I'm with Joe: this is going to be impossible to enforce consistently because there is no clear point at which the helmet is officially "lowered." Running backs who don't run upright (ideally all of them) could be construed as running with lowered helmets. So it will be a judgment call. And then PBM's point about lack of clear standard for ejection will come into play.

[Joemailman]

On a somewhat related front, eliminating kickoffs because of concussions still a possibility.


A temporary change (made permanent this week) moving touchbacks to the 25-yard line -- increasing the incentive to kneel in the end zone instead of bringing it out -- has cut down on the number of returns, but hasn't reduced the likelihood of players suffering concussions on the play. And this is after the league moved the kickoff location up five yards with the intention of shortening the distance so as to lower the top speeds of players running downfield on kickoff coverage.

None of this has helped. The league's leaders aren't sitting by idly, instead planning to assemble head coaches and special-teams coordinators to craft a solution -- which very well could include elimination of the play altogether.

"If you don't make changes to make it safer, we're going to do away with it. It's that serious," Murphy said of what the message to the collection of coaches and coordinators would be. "It's by far the most dangerous play in the game."

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Smart football folks, with this rule, is the cut-block now illegal? In my shutdown corner days, I played split end once every blue moon. I would always cut block linebackers and defensive linemen whenever the poor souls wandered into my area b/c they outweighed me by a tons.

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1063006/RunBlockExample1c.png

[Anti-Polar Bear]

I've stated this in the past, and I'll state it again: The NFL needs to outlaw the stiff arm. Sadly, it likely will take a serious neck injury before the NFL do something about it. And I'm not just hating the stiff arm b/c I was a former shutdown corner.

The stiff arm is dangerous.

http://nflrt.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/marshawn-lynch-stiff-arm.jpeg

[Bretsky]

I've stated this in the past, and I'll state it again: The NFL needs to outlaw the stiff arm. Sadly, it likely will take a serious neck injury before the NFL do something about it. And I'm not just hating the stiff arm b/c I was a former shutdown corner.

The stiff arm is dangerous.

http://nflrt.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/marshawn-lynch-stiff-arm.jpeg




RUMOR HAS IT A GOOD STIFF ARM WAS THE ONLY THING THAT ALLOWED YOU TO STAY WITHIN 15 YARDS OF DARREN CHARLES WHEN YOU TRIED CODVERING HIM

[Anti-Polar Bear]

RUMOR HAS IT A GOOD STIFF ARM WAS THE ONLY THING THAT ALLOWED YOU TO STAY WITHIN 15 YARDS OF DARREN CHARLES WHEN YOU TRIED CODVERING HIM

Darren Charles never got the chance to stiff arm moi. He caught a 5 yard slant against me b/c I slipped. Since I didn't like to tackle, I conceded the tackle to the saftey 12 yards down field. Charles didn't catch another rock the rest of the night - he was marooned on the Tank Island.

Not only is the stiff arm dangerous to the player getting stiffed, it's a move that benefits only the ball carrier. When a DB "stiffs arm" the ball carrier, it's illegal hands to the face, if not fackmask. But when the ball carrier does it, pushing back the defender's head awkwardly along the way, it's a legal football move.

Fucking unfair.

[KYPack]

Darren Charles never got the chance to stiff arm moi. He caught a 5 yard slant against me b/c I slipped. Since I didn't like to tackle, I conceded the tackle to the saftey 12 yards down field. Charles didn't catch another rock the rest of the night - he was marooned on the Tank Island.

Not only is the stiff arm dangerous to the player getting stiffed, it's a move that benefits only the ball carrier. When a DB "stiffs arm" the ball carrier, it's illegal hands to the face, if not fackmask. But when the ball carrier does it, pushing back the defender's head awkwardly along the way, it's a legal football move.

Fucking unfair.

I commented about this in another thread. I doubt Tank played in that game. The reason Darrin Charles only caught one ball in that game was that they didn't need to use him. Oshkosh stomped the Appleton team 33 - 0! One of the many reasons I feel Tank didn't play in the game is... What player would brag about his heroic play in a game in which his team was blown off the field 33 - 0?

[mraynrand]

I commented about this in another thread. I doubt Tank played in that game. The reason Darrin Charles only caught one ball in that game was that they didn't need to use him. Oshkosh stomped the Appleton team 33 - 0! One of the many reasons I feel Tank didn't play in the game is... What player would brag about his heroic play in a game in which his team was blown off the field 33 - 0?

Hey, if it was your best game, you talk it up regardless. I'm a shitty golfer (played twice), but I could talk to you for half an hour about the one amazing tee shot and one great approach shot I snapped off if you like... :)

[KYPack]

Hey, if it was your best game, you talk it up regardless. I'm a shitty golfer (played twice), but I could talk to you for half an hour about the one amazing tee shot and one great approach shot I snapped off if you like... :)

Yeah, but I bet you didn't go back to the clubhouse and brag about all your triple bogies you had that day. Oshkosh won 33 - 0 and Charles caught a ball for 19 yards. Darrin was the Wisconsin High School player of the year and his team won the State Championship. The defensive halfback covering Charles had nothing to brag about at all.

I believe you hit a cool shot or two on the links. I don't believe Tank ever stepped on the football field in his life.

[Fritz]

Yeah, but I bet you didn't go back to the clubhouse and brag about all your triple bogies you had that day. Oshkosh won 33 - 0 and Charles caught a ball for 19 yards. Darrin was the Wisconsin High School player of the year and his team won the State Championship. The defensive halfback covering Charles had nothing to brag about at all.

I believe you hit a cool shot or two on the links. I don't believe Tank ever stepped on the football field in his life.


He's been on the field of dreams, KY.

[Smidgeon]

He's been on the field of dreams, KY.

Different sport.

[woodbuck27]

So they almost passed a rule on banning hits with the helmet.

Instead they passed a rule that outlaws a helmet hit if you lower your head first.



http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/03/27/nfl-passes-rule-against-lowering-head-to-initiate-contact-with-helmet/

That was necessary. I want that taken out of the game but that will only happen with heavy penalty's for violations. Big suspensions and Fines.

[mraynrand]

Yeah, but I bet you didn't go back to the clubhouse and brag about all your triple bogies you had that day.

I've never been in a clubhouse in my life!

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/df/fa/2a/dffa2aba156f309020528c0f65df5661.jpg