79 replies to this topic

[footballisasport]

You can't hit the QB high, i.e. in the head or neck area. You can't hit them on or below the knees. You have to time your hit perfectly or it will be late. And yet, no stat probably does more for a defender's payday than sacks/forced fumbles.

The flag football comment should not be taken as an exaggeration. Seriously. They should just go ahead and put small flags on either side of a QB's waist, and consider him sacked/tackled once the defender has one in their possession.

The current system is ludicrous.

I sometimes feel that between the media and some fans, The NFL will turn into flag football fill with a bunch of boring behind people paying it.. So sick of the pious attitudes.

[Catweisers]

Thats a Dam Shame!!! I guess for the same reason Wrestling isn't real, Football will have to go same way. Is that what they saying? Safety has to be issue tho, body can only take so much then like every thing else it breaks. They mauled him in that pile tho.

[Pimpdaddy]

...what the hell is football coming to...

[tiger7_88]

The Hardy hit was the most obvious penalty and fine of the whole game. Easy penalty and easy fine. I can't imagine how you can argue that was a clean hit.

Yeah, making a tackle FACEMASK TO THE NUMBERS just as it is taught from Pop Warner to the highest level is an "easy penalty and easy fine".

You are one top notch effin' genius.

[Firefox]

Yeah, making a tackle FACEMASK TO THE NUMBERS just as it is taught from Pop Warner to the highest level is an "easy penalty and easy fine".

You are one top notch effin' genius.

(f) If a player uses any part of his helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/”hairline” parts) or facemask to butt, spear, or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily. Although such violent or unnecessary use of the helmet and facemask is impermissible against any opponent, game officials will give special attention in administering this rule to protecting those players who are in virtually defenseless postures, including but not limited to:

(1) Forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head, neck, or face with the helmet or facemask, regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him

[tiger7_88]

(f) If a player uses any part of his helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/”hairline” parts) or facemask to butt, spear, or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily. Although such violent or unnecessary use of the helmet and facemask is impermissible against any opponent, game officials will give special attention in administering this rule to protecting those players who are in virtually defenseless postures, including but not limited to:

(1) Forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head, neck, or face with the helmet or facemask, regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him

So basically they've ruled that tackling the QB is illegal and a person foul.

OK... I understand now.

The NFL is fuged.

[Marguide]

(f) If a player uses any part of his helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/”hairline” parts) or facemask to butt, spear, or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily. Although such violent or unnecessary use of the helmet and facemask is impermissible against any opponent, game officials will give special attention in administering this rule to protecting those players who are in virtually defenseless postures, including but not limited to:

(1) Forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head, neck, or face with the helmet or facemask, regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him

Reading this, I don't see what Hardy did wrong. His facemask made contact with his back, but he wasn't using it to butt, spear or ram the opponent violently or unnecessarily. It is pretty hard to make a wrap up tackle without your facemask making contact with some part of the opponent's body, and the part of Palmer's body contacted was not an illegal part (i.e. head or neck or below the knees).

[Firefox]

Reading this, I don't see what Hardy did wrong. His facemask made contact with his back, but he wasn't using it to butt, spear or ram the opponent violently or unnecessarily. It is pretty hard to make a wrap up tackle without your facemask making contact with some part of the opponent's body, and the part of Palmer's body contacted was not an illegal part (i.e. head or neck or below the knees).

"not limited to"

[Marguide]

"not limited to"

Gee, that's a little vague huh?

I know you didn't write the rule so forgive me if it sounds like I'm giving you a hard time; that's not my intention. I would however, challenge you or any other Huddler to take a shot at writing a description of what constitutes a legal tackle on a QB.

My contention is that any hit that appears to "hurt" the QB is called a penalty in today's NFL.

[Firefox]

Yeah things today are different than in the past. Safety is a BIG thing.

In the 50's an ironworker might walk a steel beam 40 stories up. Think OSHA would allow that now?
Kids wear helmets to ride their bike. I certainly didn't do that as a kid.
Seat belts in cars? What are seat belts?
Stock car drivers used to have a smoke while the crew poured in the gas from a metal can.

Things aren't the same any more. The NFL rules are reviewed and re-written every couple years.
Have a team, or play in the league? Have to follow the rules.

[JawnyBlaze]

Reading this, I don't see what Hardy did wrong. His facemask made contact with his back, but he wasn't using it to butt, spear or ram the opponent violently or unnecessarily. It is pretty hard to make a wrap up tackle without your facemask making contact with some part of the opponent's body, and the part of Palmer's body contacted was not an illegal part (i.e. head or neck or below the knees).

As I was reading through the posts, I had planned to reply to that same post with basically the same thing you said but you beat me to it. Hardy did nothing in violation of any rule that has been listed. The "but not limited to" business doesn't give any further credibility to the argument for the fine/penalty because he didn't do anything mentioned in general rule before the examples that it "isn't limited to". Basically, the only way to uphold this punishment is to say that if a QB gets hurt, it's automatically illegal.

[JawnyBlaze]

Things aren't the same any more. The NFL rules are reviewed and re-written every couple years.
Have a team, or play in the league? Have to follow the rules.

He did follow the rules. There is no rule saying you can't hit a QB from behind. He hit Palmer pretty much the exact way you're supposed to, between the knees and shoulders, face up, didn't launch, tackled through him. If he had been coming from in front of Palmer and hit him in the chest there would be no discussion, there wouldn't have been anything he could have done more legal and within the rules. Because it came from behind, Palmer got hurt and they want to try to say it was an illegal hit. That doesn't fly.

[megadeth078]

A lot of people here are forgetting that you can tackle with your shoulder.

That sack was going to happen one way or another. Hardy had plenty of time to use better judgement. Look what happened after the sack. Palmer had to leave the game. This is the exact situation that led to the creation of the rule, guys. This is a textbook penalty and he was right to get fined. The goal should be to get a sack, not to injure the quarterback. What Hardy did was a cheap shot. I would have been a lot happier with a clean sack.

[JawnyBlaze]

(f) If a player uses any part of his helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/”hairline” parts) or facemask to butt, spear, or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily. Although such violent or unnecessary use of the helmet and facemask is impermissible against any opponent, game officials will give special attention in administering this rule to protecting those players who are in virtually defenseless postures, including but not limited to:

(1) Forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head, neck, or face with the helmet or facemask, regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him

I also find it funny you bolded parts you think help your argument, but ignore the surrounding text that puts it into context.

(f) If a player uses any part of his helmet or facemast to butt, spear or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily. Greg didn't.

(1) Forcibly hitting the defenseless player's head, neck, or face with the helmet or facemask... Kills the argument for section (1) immediately.

[Firefox]

I also find it funny you bolded parts you think help your argument, but ignore the surrounding text that puts it into context.

(f) If a player uses any part of his helmet or facemast to butt, spear or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily. Greg didn't.

(1) Forcibly hitting the defenseless player's head, neck, or face with the helmet or facemask... Kills the argument for section (1) immediately.

Apparently the NFL disagrees with you.