The new "helmet" rule/penalty: Ho-Lee Carp

[tiger7_88]

Seems like the new rule/penalty will have 3 (THREE!) different levels:

- If a player has been determined to have the time to consciously prepare to line up a hit and leads with his helmet: 15 yard penalty and ejection of violating player from the game.

- If a player has been determined to have initiated contact with his lowered helmet, but it was also determined to be a "bang-bang" play: 15 yard penalty.

- If a player has been determined to have lowered his helmet not to initiate contact, but to brace for expected contact: no penalty/violation of the rule.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/page/2/

Quote

 

Which means that, as of 2018, the new helmet rule creates two levels of infraction. For something closer to bang-bang, a foul will be called, akin to the penalty for hitting a defenseless receiver in the head/neck area. For something that entails more time for the player to line up and attack with his helmet, it will be both a penalty and an ejection.

It won’t be a penalty, as Vincent has confirmed, if the player lowers his helmet not to initiate impact but to brace for it. That could make the rule even harder to officiate, with players colliding their helmets and a real-time decision being made regarding whether one was initiating it and whether the other was bracing for it.

 

What a clusterfug this is going to be with these horrible NFL officials these days.  "Hey, let's give them MORE poo they can make up on the fly to effect the outcomes of games!"

[BrianS]

I wonder if they considered the possibility of both players "bracing for impact".  This seems entirely too subjective to me.

[Khyber53]

This is way to subjective to be administered fairly across the board.

Really, if they want to remove the act of using the helmet as a weapon, then going back to padded leather helmets would do the trick. It's not going to happen but that would end it quickly.

The other side is that brain trauma is a potential (probably inevitable) job hazard, along with a host of other injuries both acute and lingering. At the professional level, and maybe even at the collegiate scholarship level, you can say the players are being compensated for the risk. When you walk it back to younger players from high school all the way down to the Peewee leagues and it becomes a wholly different problem.

 

[Asurfaholic]

I’m ok with subjective penalties, but only if they are reviewable. 

Game changing penalties should always be reviewable. Otherwise the refs have too much power to effect the outcome of the game.

[jasonluckydog]

It's going to be a cluster fug

[Ja Rhule]

So RBs cannot lower their shoulders when hitting the hole?  That would mean power backs will get poo on by the league.

[OneBadCat]

Sounds like the refs just got another excuse to screw us

[GRWatcher]

This will be as bad as "what exactly is a catch?"

Another proposed change is that ejections will be automatically reviewed by the NY crew so, will they call all helmet hits ejections just to get them reviewed? Like they seem to be moving towards with TD's?

[The Lobo]

1 hour ago, BrianS said:

I wonder if they considered the possibility of both players "bracing for impact".  This seems entirely too subjective to me.

Well said, which is why this will be bs all year. It’s all knee jerk reactions instead of thinking it through.

[KillerKat]

Here it is! The new rules for refs to go by to further rig the games. I knew once they adjusted the catch rule, they were going to add something else so that the refs still have enough gray area to hide behind to help the league's favorites win the game.

[KillerKat]

2 hours ago, ARSEN said:

So RBs cannot lower their shoulders when hitting the hole?  That would mean power backs will get poo on by the league.

And this comes after we sign CJ Anderson. Perfect timing.

[KillerKat]

This poo is the reason why I only watch panthers games. If the Panthers never existed, I would've given up on the NFL years ago.

[KSpan]

2 hours ago, ARSEN said:

So RBs cannot lower their shoulders when hitting the hole?  That would mean power backs will get poo on by the league.

I'm sure the league intends to ensure that an RB going Earl Campbell will be penalized rather than entirely eliminate lowering shoulders but it will be interesting to see how it's implemented.

[Snake]

2 hours ago, ARSEN said:

So RBs cannot lower their shoulders when hitting the hole?  That would mean power backs will get poo on by the league.

That would be considered bracing for impact. 

I like this rule after watch Cam take shots with lowered helmets almost his entire career. Hopefully dirty players will pay for their cheep shots.