Does anybody know about a new rule this season that cut blocks were going to be illegal out of shotgun?

Had a conversation with a ref and he was telling me that it will go into effect this year.

Not sure about anything new, but you could only cut immediately(at the snap) inside the tackle box, and it had to be the man over you.

I think as long as the cutting takes place in the box, then it should be fine. I have seen alot of teams who have gotten rid of cut blocking altogether. believe it or not, a lot of high school players are not that great at cutting to begin with. I learned this when I played in college. There is a technique to it and it can be hard to pull off against a good D-lineman.

That's the way we always teach it on the snap in the box of course. He was saying their having a hard time judging it and was going to eliminate any cut blocks out of the gun. We cut a lot on the backside and some on our quick series. Anyways guess I have to wait and see.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the rule states that cut blocks are legal so long as the ball is in the tackle box, and by rule the shotgun depth for most teams eliminates that. Which is why we have to cut immediately at the snap. Hadn't heard anything new that completely eliminates the cut block based on shotgun though.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the rule states that cut blocks are legal so long as the ball is in the tackle box, and by rule the shotgun depth for most teams eliminates that. Which is why we have to cut immediately at the snap. Hadn't heard anything new that completely eliminates the cut block based on shotgun though.

 

I agree!

Only a couple of reasons for cut blocking to begin with. Slow down a rusher, or on a quick, hot pass. I think to many coaches try and teach cut blocking, and don't know the proper tech. to teach, and it also causes O lineman to become lazy blockers, with no feet Once or twice a game, fine, anymore then that causes lazy lineman. Not a fan of this blocking tech at the high school level.

I'm going to guess they are going to change how they enforce the rule if they do anything. There are more factors than it has to be immediately on the snap. The whole rule goes with the free block zone and all it's factors such as when the ball leaves the fbz and if a player is even in it to begin with. If you're in the gun it depends on your splits, the defensive alignment, the depth of the qb and the speed of the snap. The other thing they have to look at is did the contact start above the waist, was contact maintained through the the block and did the defender out his hands down forcing the offensive player to go lower. I wish we would just go to modified NCAA rules like Texas.

That's the way we always teach it on the snap in the box of course. He was saying their having a hard time judging it and was going to eliminate any cut blocks out of the gun. We cut a lot on the backside and some on our quick series. Anyways guess I have to wait and see.

 

We'd be in some trouble since we cut on the backside of plays quite often.

Been running the option out of the Gun since the mid 90's. Seems to me that I did not see much of the cut block penalty called until the Mummy System creeped in and everyone wanted to protect the QB, and then you saw more of it. However, I have noticed a tendency the last few years that if you get blitzed (LB/Safety), and it is obvious then you have it called more. It is very difficult for 145lb lineman to block a secondary defender going full speed straight up, but I know it is for safety. This is a good thread.

To me it doesn't really matter whether the keep it or do away with it. I don't like cut blocks and i think a player should learn different strategies and styles to block his man straight up, pick up a blitz, or stall block backside.

I don't think a team should be able to cut block out of the gun because the ball instantly leaves the box. For you to execute a cut that fast you would have to basically dive out of your stance. I wouldn't care if they eliminated the cut block altogether. It can be dangerous if kids don't see it everyday. I say you either make it illegal everywhere or open it up like the college game and let you cut downfield. I mean if a fat lineman kid is allowed to be cut everyone else should be. The implementation by referees has been inconsistent which has caused much of this controversy. Depending on who you have on a particular Friday night will depend on whether or not you can cut out of gun. I have seen many referees allowing backs to cut.....frequently. Which can't be legal even in the box.