NFL Adopts New Safety Rules

[Guiness]

I know, I know! Let's bring back the 'in the grasp' rule.

When I was a kid, I thought it was the 'in the grass' rule, and had no idea what they were doing smoking up during the game :P

[Tarlam!]

The owners view their QB's as the key to a play off run, even the SB. Frankly, the quality of the majority of back ups helps their case.

Also, they want to protect all those zillions of dollars that are tied up in that position. If you remember, there was a ton in the press about how to better protect QBs last season.

[SkinBasket]

I can see why they're changing this rule. Say what you want about the QB being another football player in a contact sport, but no other player on the field is so limited in space while having to be so entirely focused on what is happening dozens of yards down the field instead of immediately around them. So you can say that you're putting the D player at a huge disadvantage with the rule change, but you can also say that the nature of the rules of the game put the QB at a disadvantage as well when it comes to protecting themselves.

I for one think the rule change may actually create more interesting match-ups in the trenches if the defensive players know they can't simply get flattened, roll over to the QB and grab him. They're going to have to use better technique and keep their feet, making the battle between OL and DL more interesting than a bunch of fat bodies falling on each other.

On the other hand, I hope they also call OL holding more as a trade-off. I would like to see the end of guys getting away with wrapping up the defender and "falling" on top of them. If the rushers are going to be expected to clean up their game, it's only fair that some curb be put on the rampant holding going on in the league.

[Noodle]

So why is it that Skin is the only guy on this thread with enough sense to understand there's more to it than the "hey, it's a collision sport" mentality. I can't do better than Skin in explaining why this rule makes sense, so I'll just say a-men.


The game already has special rules for players who are in especially vulnerable positions and can't protect themselves, like roughing the kicker, and it's still plenty violent.

Are people here such in-bred mouth-breathing morons that they really think that this rule change is going to take hitting out of the game?

[KYPack]

Whoa, Noodle. Go gettum, pal. Didn't think you'd get hot about that point.

I don't know if these kick changes will change much. They won't all 4 guys to get shoulder to shoulder and form the wedge. As some have said, wedge busting gets guys hurt. Will only having 2 in the wedge really reduce all these injuries? I really don't know.

You will still have a two man wedge, so most teams will send 2 guys to bust the wedge. There will still be a buster and a chaser on Kick cover involved. The buster isn't gonna get hurt because there are less guys doing it? Why?

It's still a crazy guy running his ass off down field and plowing into his opposite number. That's a dangerous play that nobody wants to do, except for your wackiest rookie LB or safety, a young guy trying to get an NFL paycheck. I don't see less exposure for these guys unless there are other modifications to the rule they haven't released yet.

[Gunakor]

So why is it that Skin is the only guy on this thread with enough sense to understand there's more to it than the "hey, it's a collision sport" mentality. I can't do better than Skin in explaining why this rule makes sense, so I'll just say a-men.


The game already has special rules for players who are in especially vulnerable positions and can't protect themselves, like roughing the kicker, and it's still plenty violent.

Are people here such in-bred mouth-breathing morons that they really think that this rule change is going to take hitting out of the game?

I'm all about defense. Defense is what makes this game great, not high powered offenses led by QB's who have no fear of getting sacked because the DL isn't allowed to touch them anymore. I don't care what argument people make that this is a good idea, it's just another rule change that favors the offense and takes away from the INSTINCTIVE play of the defense.

Who cares if you've been blocked to the ground, if you see the QB and he's within reach, you lunge for him and bring him to the ground as well. That's what you do. That's what you're taught to do from pee-wee's all the way to the pro's. Now, instead of playing all the way to the whistle like you've been taught to do for years and years, once you are blocked to the ground the play is essentially over for you. If you do what you've been taught to do - get after the QB regardless - you'll be flagged. And all because Tom Brady got injured.

FFS, if it were a QB like Dan Orlovsky that took that hit and were injured for the year, does anyone think this rule change would have been made?

[cpk1994]

So why is it that Skin is the only guy on this thread with enough sense to understand there's more to it than the "hey, it's a collision sport" mentality. I can't do better than Skin in explaining why this rule makes sense, so I'll just say a-men.


The game already has special rules for players who are in especially vulnerable positions and can't protect themselves, like roughing the kicker, and it's still plenty violent.

Are people here such in-bred mouth-breathing morons that they really think that this rule change is going to take hitting out of the game?

Exactly. Roughhing the Passer hasn't made the game less violent. Neither will this rule change. This just eliminates the cheap shots.

[Gunakor]

So why is it that Skin is the only guy on this thread with enough sense to understand there's more to it than the "hey, it's a collision sport" mentality. I can't do better than Skin in explaining why this rule makes sense, so I'll just say a-men.


The game already has special rules for players who are in especially vulnerable positions and can't protect themselves, like roughing the kicker, and it's still plenty violent.

Are people here such in-bred mouth-breathing morons that they really think that this rule change is going to take hitting out of the game?

Exactly. Roughhing the Passer hasn't made the game less violent. Neither will this rule change. This just eliminates the cheap shots.

\

I wouldn't call them cheap shots though. The hit that knocked Brady out for the year last year wasn't a cheap shot. It was a guy trying to make a play. It was unfortunate how it ended, but for crying out loud, he did exactly what he'd been taught to do. Get to the quarterback. I've never viewed hits like that as cheap shots.