Laddie Morse

NFL Owners Meetings: New League Rules

LadnerMorse May 23, 2018 No Comments

 

 

 

 

The NFL owners are meeting this week. They’ve come to an agreement on several rules not the least of which is the rule about defensive players not being allowed to lower their head to make a tackle. Actually, the rule applies to any player leading with their helmet, offensive or defensive players alike. However, the impact will obviously be on defensive players attempting to make a tackle. The referees are going to use training camp and preseason games to enforce these rules to give teams time to adjust but I’m not so sure this rule makes much sense.

 

Below is a picture that Al Riveron is showing to owners, coaches, players and referees in training sessions. Riveron is the Senior Vice President of Officiating of the National Football League and what he does is freeze on this frame when he’s giving his presentation. So, take a look and tell me what you think:

 

 

 

Like many of you who played football in their younger days, whether you are going for a flag, as in Flag-Football, or trying to tackle a RB, you lower your head to make contact with the torso of that player. In an effort to get your arms all the way around that opponent, you get yourself as close as you can to the runner. I was taught to put my shoulder into the stomach of the RB or QB. I recall one time in my life being able to make a perfect tackle. I was playing in a pick-up game on Huntington Beach and I stuck my shoulder into the stomach of the runner, lifted him up and laid him on his back (it would have been… “slam-him-on-his-back”… if not for the sandy beach). The point is… the perfect tackle rarely happens because players are fast and constantly in motion… especially laterally. Now, do you see how a defensive player can do that without lowering their head… or having their helmet come into contact with some part of the runners body? I don’t. Because… “The head-bones-connected to the shoulder-bone…“ as the song goes, or something like that.

 

 

How many times have you ever seen Derrick Johnson go low to get under a block and consequently blow up a play? It’s one of the reasons he’ll always be a top-5 Chief of all-time for me. Now, how would he have ever pulled those moves off without lowering his helmet?

 

I do understand that there are some defenders who use their helmet as a spear — leading with their helmet when they hit — but just the idea of lowering your head “on purpose” appears to be an impossible task to determine.

 

The real tricky wicket here is… determining “intent”  which will be done by officials on the field as well as in New York (watching the play from afar). A legal tackle will now become more difficult to recognize than a catch. Riveron goes on to say defenders must hit with their shoulders and shows another play which he calls a “Foul” and says it demands an “Automatic Ejection.”

 

 

 

 

 

The Next picture shows the direction that #25 aims his helmet and the red line shows what Riveron is calling, “the posture we need to get out of the game.” The yellow arrow shows the direction where #25’s helmet is headed.

 

 

 

Each of the 3 pictures above come from Riveron’s presentation. Here’s an official listing of the new rule:

 

 

 

 

 

For me, the new rule is as clear as mud. Let me know what you think.

 

 

There is also now a new Kickoff Rule. As posted at NFL.com:

 

  • 1. Players on the kicking team cannot line up more than one yard from the point of the kickoff. The previous rule allowed players to line up five yards from the restraining line (typically 35-yard line), allowing them to have more of a running start before the kick.
  • 2. The wedge block has been eliminated. Only players who line up in the setup zone (between their own 40 and opponents’ 45-yard line) can put together double-team blocks.
  • 3. Until the ball is touched or hits the ground, no player on the receiving team may cross the restraining line (typically its 45) or initiate a block. This forces blockers on the receiving team to run back and block, which greatly decreases the chance of an “attack” block that can result in a high-speed collision.
  • 4. When the ball hits the end zone, it’s immediately ruled a touchback. There is no need for a player to down the ball in the end zone to initiate a touchback.
    All disqualification of players are also now reviewable.

 

The new Kickoff Rule is a one-year rule and will be re-evaluated next offseason. Since there has been talk of the owners doing away with the kickoff completely, one more year to study injuries on kickoffs should clear everything up. 😉

 

#3 is a little puzzling. Whether players are running up and blocking early in the play or retreating to block later so that the defenders have time to ramp up their speed… I don’t see the difference. One hundred yards of space to either block or bust a block is all the same to me. It’s just math. Here is the National Football League’s official tweet and video to help fans understand the new Kickoff Rule:

 

 

 

 

Dave Toub has traditionally coached the Chiefs special teams players into one the best units in the NFL. I see no problems with Toub being able to adjust his group for success. Let me know what you think of the new rule and if it effects the Chiefs in any way?

 

 

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On another topic, the Chiefs OTA’s began yesterday. Here are a few important pictures of note:

 

 

 

 

Chris Conley’s Achilles injury looks to be a thing of the past and that’s good news for the Chiefs wide receiving corp.

 

 

Spencer Ware was there and dressed out..

 

 

 

 

Patrick Mahomes snapping off a pass. It’s hightime we got to see what this fledgling QB has got!.

 

 

 

 

Even more encouraging was the presence of Eric Berry — smiling — for the defense and Chiefs Kingdom! Go Chiefs!