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.