It's not a dirty play. Last night's hit was not a needless attempt at headhunting. The kid was about to make a tackle and the only angle on the block was the right side of the chest where he placed his helmet across the kid's body and got his pads into the player. It wasn't dirty last year. It isn't this year.

 

It's just that a rule has been put in place that now does not allow it. It's a bit arbitrary, though the intent of the rule has a good purpose. But it wasn't a dirty play.

It was against the rules and being "dirty" will always be subjective to each person who sees it. Imo it was dirty. We will just agree to disagree.

So what's the alternative? Ease up and allow the defender to make the tackle? Because you know as I know if you extend your arms and hands, it's going to be deemed a hold as soon as that defender turns...sounds like a catch 22 to me.

It's not like they are changing the way the game is played. Its not much different years back when it was a penalty to block in the back. The whole purpose of the rule is to cut back on injuries. If you are going to make a block then it simply needs

to be made in the front part of the body as to have no blind side hits. Btw to oldgrappler, last night it was a classic peel back block which as I understand was gone over the night before with both teams and was why it wasn't argued when the flag was thrown.

It was not a peel back block. Peel back is when you are out in front and you see someone coming behind you and you change your direction to blind side the person. This was a sprint across the field in a lateral fashion to block the player who was about to make the tackle. I watched it on film in slow motion. The blocker crossed in front of the pursuer with his head and got his shoulder pad into the player on a perfect form block.

 

The blocker came a long distance and outweighed the kid being blocked, but there is nothing dirty about that play. Just because a play is called a penalty doesn't mean it is dirty.

 

A dirty play is when you target someone's knee or lower leg with the intention of hurting that player, or aiming your helmet in an opponent's earhole or punch a player in the back, or kick his helmet while he is under the pile. These are dirty plays. But a play that entailed hustle to get to the point of attack and a perfect form block across the front of the numbers is not dirty. I agree it was a penalty by this year's rules. Last year, any coach would have congratulated the player for making a heck of a play that sprung the runner for 30 more yards. Don't call it dirty.

 

This is why I am arguing that that play should not be a penalty. You have taken away the ability for a blocker to adequately protect his teammate from being tackled from behind. There needs to be some discretion in the rule where you allow a necessary block at the point of attack but if it is done 10 yards behind the ball and has no chance of impacting the play and clearly is for the sake of unloading on an opponent, call that a penalty. But a good heads-up hustling block , you can't define that as a penalty. I do disagree.

 

The only equitable way to take away that block from the team returning the ball is also to disallow a tackle from behind. If you are going to prevent the return team from adequately defending against a tackle, then that tackle also should be against the rules. I am not advocating for this. I am pointing out what is fair. That is why I am arguing against this rule or at least to define it more precisely so it is only a penalty when the intent of the block is clearly to unload on a player that has no chance of impacting the ball carrier.

 

And another thing, my understanding is that the Refs went into Cooper's locker room and explained the new rule to them before the game. I found that out tonight. The Refs did not do this with Boone's team. It may be because Boone did not have use of the locker room because the Cooper freshman team was in there or perhaps Boone elected not to use the locker room (I am not sure about this). But I do know Boone did not go into the locker room before or after the game. And the Refs did not address the team about this rule before the game.

A poll of my sons who played defensive line and LB indicates this rule maybe a bit of overkill. They did not see this play much and did not consider it bad or dirty.

 

The question will be if WRs and TEs are 'leading with their hands' are they going to get called for holding - a seemingly common occurrence when those positions block 'with their hands'.

 

This is be a bit hard on the refs as it transitions in.