New Rules and Points of Emphasis

[The Pencil Neck]

NFL Video showing new rules and points of emphasis.

I'm not liking some of the defenseless player rules.

I like the let up of the blow to the head rule so you can touch someone's head without getting a penalty but changing the rule so you're not supposed to hit someone making a catch is pretty crappy. The DB has to ALLOW the WR to complete the act of catching the pass before hitting them? Sheesh. You can't hit a QB in the act of throwing the pass? Come on!

[Double Barrel]

wow...you know, I'd like to think that this is all about safety and will not change the fundamental nature of the game. But now, after watching this video, I'm just not sure if both are mutually agreeable. Football is a violent sport by nature, and each and every one of these players will admit to understanding this basic premise.

These rules about WRs and QBs are going to change it at a fundamental level. There is not way that forward momentum can be altered like we live in The Matrix.

Are these changes about safety or offense? One tends to generate revenue...

And Jeff Fisher annoys me for some reason. Just a personal thing, but I'm tired of seeing his porn 'stache.

[Rey]

I'm going to wait to see more games being played, but I didn't like where the rules were headed last year and I don't like what I've read about the new rules so far.

Not sure why you'd penalize a defender for making a well timed hit. It's like they are discouraging good instincts and hustle from the defense.

[Dutchrudder]

FINALLY! The stiff-arm facemask exemption has never made sense to me at all. Why the hell should the guy with the ball get to shove his hand in an opponent's face? It never made any sense to me besides being some sort of traditional holdover. Glad to see that hypocrisy is taken care of.

The other rules don't seem terrible. I'm glad they won't be flagging incidental contact to the QB's helmet any more. That was total crap last season.

[Playoffs]

I've never been all that big of a kickoff fan before, but I think it'll bug me if an overwhelming percentage are just touchbacks. Makes it an exercise instead of a play.

[gary]

Do the players know how to wrap a man up anymore or do they just lunge at each other? Forget about the basics of love and get back to the basics of football please.

[jaayteetx]

The wussifaction of America continues...

[CloakNNNdagger]

I can see where several of these rules will be very subjective to the individual interpretation of the refs.

I can also see zebra hate will be markedly increased this season.

[badboy]

For now, I'm ok with them. TIred of seeing QBs hit late and this might slow that down some.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

I can see where several of these rules will be very subjective to the individual interpretation of the refs.

I can also see zebra hate will be markedly increased this season.

Yep. Some fans aren't going to be aware of the rule changes and they're going to be PISSED when someone makes a hit that would have been a good, hard Jack Tatum "you ain't coming over the middle with me at safety" type of hit and the guy gets flagged 15 yards and ejected.

[gary]

I think a huge deal to me is knowing how to tackle lowering the target area on a player and lowering the shoulder pads too.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by Dutchrudder

FINALLY! The stiff-arm facemask exemption has never made sense to me at all. Why the hell should the guy with the ball get to shove his hand in an opponent's face? It never made any sense to me besides being some sort of traditional holdover. Glad to see that hypocrisy is taken care of.

The other rules don't seem terrible. I'm glad they won't be flagging incidental contact to the QB's helmet any more. That was total crap last season.

Totally agree. This is the only rule change I think is warranted.

That whole "defenseless player" thing annoys me to no end. I can see outlawing blows to the head or helmet-to-helmet hits. That piece of hard plastic launched at someone's jaw or noggin - with 200+ lbs of angry defensive guy behind it - is a dangerous weapon.

My problem with it is circumstance. If a DB or LB aims at a WRs chest, and said WR ducks after the defensive guy has committed to the tackle and, because of his own movement, the WR gets hit in the head, how is it the defender's fault?? In that circumstance, the WR was the one who caused the helmet-to-helmet contact.

[gary]

Originally Posted by ObsiWan

Totally agree. This is the only rule change I think is warranted.

That whole "defenseless player" thing annoys me to no end. I can see outlawing blows to the head or helmet-to-helmet hits. That piece of hard plastic launched at someone's jaw or noggin - with 200+ lbs of angry defensive guy behind it - is a dangerous weapon.

My problem with it is circumstance. If a DB or LB aims at a WRs chest, and said WR ducks after the defensive guy has committed to the tackle and, because of his own movement, the WR gets hit in the head, how is it the defender's fault?? In that circumstance, the WR was the one who caused the helmet-to-helmet contact.

Of course you always throw a flag when the defender leaves his feet or hits after the play is over but certainly not circumstance.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by ObsiWan

Totally agree. This is the only rule change I think is warranted.

That whole "defenseless player" thing annoys me to no end. I can see outlawing blows to the head or helmet-to-helmet hits. That piece of hard plastic launched at someone's jaw or noggin - with 200+ lbs of angry defensive guy behind it - is a dangerous weapon.

My problem with it is circumstance. If a DB or LB aims at a WRs chest, and said WR ducks after the defensive guy has committed to the tackle and, because of his own movement, the WR gets hit in the head, how is it the defender's fault?? In that circumstance, the WR was the one who caused the helmet-to-helmet contact.

It seems that this new rule will virtually eliminate the "incomplete pass" caused by a solid hit by a D player. The WR will have to drop the darn ball all by himself to have that call made.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

It seems that this new rule will virtually eliminate the "incomplete pass" caused by a solid hit by a D player. The WR will have to drop the darn ball all by himself to have that call made.

That's what really, really irritates me. The defensive player pretty much can swat at the ball to knock it loose but they can't deliver a blow to the receiver to knock it loose. That's a HUGE change of a fundamental concept.

[edo783]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

That's what really, really irritates me. The defensive player pretty much can swat at the ball to knock it loose but they can't deliver a blow to the receiver to knock it loose. That's a HUGE change of a fundamental concept.

A passing league just got a lot more sucesefull at passing under this rule.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

That's what really, really irritates me. The defensive player pretty much can swat at the ball to knock it loose but they can't deliver a blow to the receiver to knock it loose. That's a HUGE change of a fundamental concept.

I just watched the chiefs/bucs and a safety came down and smashed a wr just as the ball touched his hands. No flag. Pererra or whatever his name is, said it was a legal hit. The defender made contact with his shoulder to the receivers mid section and did not hit the wr with his helmet.

So that was one instant where the new rule didn't seem to matter.

Gonna be interesting to see how the season plays out.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by Rey

I just watched the chiefs/bucs and a safety came down and smashed a wr just as the ball touched his hands. No flag. Pererra or whatever his name is, said it was a legal hit. The defender made contact with his shoulder to the receivers mid section and did not hit the wr with his helmet.

So that was one instant where the new rule didn't seem to matter.

Gonna be interesting to see how the season plays out.

According to the new rules that should have been a foul, since the player was not given a chance to catch the ball and "establish himself as a runner."..........Kill the ref!!!!!!!!

[Rey]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

According to the new rules that should have been a foul, since the player was not given a chance to catch the ball and "establish himself as a runner."..........Kill the ref!!!!!!!!

That's what I thought.

It was kind of a befuddling moment for me.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by Rey

That's what I thought.

It was kind of a befuddling moment for me.

I think we are going to have many a befuddling moments before they decide that maybe at least some of these rules are handcuffing Ds too much..............or maybe they'll think that the new rules still don't open the passing game enough, and therefore supply each defensive coordinator with a pair of real handcuffs to attach their players' dominant hands to the back of their jock straps.