Can someone explain to me why the hit by Pollard was not a penalty.. - Page 4 - New England Patriots Forums

jcdavey · 01-20-2013, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sligoker

League has to get its head around these personal fouls. They seem to be applied very inconsistently.

IMO the pf on ray was complete bull****

he leads with the shoulder, hernandez leads with his helmet afterwards, and they call ray for helmet to helmet

it's ludicrous

WhiZa · 01-20-2013, 11:10 PM

The day the NFL starts calling helmet to helmet on running plays is the day we should start watching WNBA

***Sciz*** · 01-20-2013, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcdavey

IMO the pf on ray was complete bull****

he leads with the shoulder, hernandez leads with his helmet afterwards, and they call ray for helmet to helmet

it's ludicrous

Shoulder to helmet is still illegal on defenseless receivers. In that situation, the defender needs to aim lower. In that particular scenario, Lewis was probably better off not hitting him at all.

***MoLewisrocks*** · 01-20-2013, 11:17 PM

Here is an article that cites the rule and further explanation of the NFL interpretation of the rule for down by contact. It would clearly appear that this being the case, Ridley was down by contact. The ball didn't come loose until his head hit it and that was after he was down on his ass.

As for the hit, it was legal as the only time helmet to helmet hits are illegal is when a defensless receiver or QB is contacted. Running backs are contacted by the helmet to their head more often than not.

Quote:

Guide to Football,” down by contact is addressed through the definition of a tackle. “A player is tackled when one or both of his knees touch the ground,” says the guide. Unfortunately, as is commonplace for beginners guides, the ambiguity of the definition leads to false interpretations.

2012 Official Playing Rules and Casebook of the National Football League discusses the application of down by contact. On page 17, Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1a, a downed ball carrier is described as “when a runner is contacted by a defensive player and touches the ground with any part of his body other than his hands or feet. The ball is dead the instant the runner touches the ground. A runner touching the ground with his hands or feet while in the grasp of an opponent may continue to advance.”

Article 1 of the 2012 Official Playing Rules and Casebook of the National Football League further describes the instances in which players are considered down by contact. Down by contact describes when:
“a runner is held or otherwise restrained so that his forward progress ends” “a quarterback immediately drops to a knee (or simulates dropping to his knee) behind the line of scrimmage” “a runner declares himself down by sliding feet first to the ground”
Thus, down by contact can be summarized as a ball carrier that, as a result of any contact by an opposing player, touches the ground with a part of his body that is not his hands or his feet, or has forward progress halted.

Understanding the down by contact rule in the NFL - by Tim Anderson - Helium

condon84 · 01-20-2013, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsFanSince74

oh come on. the fumble was an important play, yes. but it didn't cost them the game on its own.

two picks. a head first fumble. a big drop. bad play calling. bad clock management. on the whole, that's the most complete meltdown I've seen this team have in a Championship game in the last 12 years.

Yeah, but if we had Pollard, at least he'll be out there for us instead of Gregory.

BTW, that Pollard hit was completely legal. As someone has pointed out, runners with the ball are not defenseless so they are fair game. If you really look at the play, it was Ridley who lowered his helmet and caused the helmet to helmet collision.

***Joker*** · 01-20-2013, 11:33 PM

I hate Pollard. That hit was legal.

thechris · 01-20-2013, 11:57 PM

Ridley had the ball ... not defenseless. Anyway, that dude is fumbling machine. And wtf is up with Pollard ruining our seasons? I seriously think we should trade a 3rd for him and then just put that *****h on IR. Eff him

jcdavey · 01-21-2013, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thechris

Ridley had the ball ... not defenseless. Anyway, that dude is fumbling machine. And wtf is up with Pollard ruining our seasons? I seriously think we should trade a 3rd for him and then just put that *****h on IR. Eff him

pretty sure that would be against some kind of rule lol

BennyBledsoe · 01-21-2013, 02:34 AM

A fumbling machine? The dude got knocked out.

...that and it wasn't a fumble since he was down on the ground and the only way it got knocked out was because his leg on the GROUND knocked it out as his arms slammed onto his thigh.

***DarrylS*** · 01-21-2013, 04:35 AM

For those who clarified the rule thank you... did not intimate that is why they lost, just that this turnover imo helped change the game.