Getting rid of the chop block

Troy Vincent sounds like he really wants to get rid of the chop block. Hat tip to Mike Reiss.

http://operations.nfl.com/updates/football-ops/what-to-expect-from-the-competition-committee-meeting

The chop block has been banned from both the high school and college game. We have a generation of players coming to the NFL who never used the chop block, yet they may be expected to initiate this technique that could result in a career-ending injury. We strongly need to consider removing this technique from the game.

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Yes. It's a cheap trick. Man up and make a block.

If they change this rule and the spot foul for pass interference, I'd be thrilled.

That may end Gary Kubiaks coaching career then.

Not a big fan of it although there is a time and place for it. Just like a slide tackle in soccer. Problem is so many players do it regularly like its part of their everyday game nowadays.

I thought a chop block was already illegal. Do they mean cut block?

Oswlek said:

I thought a chop block was already illegal. Do they mean cut block?

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I thought that too. But apparently it's legal in some instances like on running plays(don't really know the details, just looked quickly on wikipedia).

Marinlik said:

I thought that too. But apparently it's legal in some instances like on running plays(don't really know the details, just looked quickly on wikipedia).

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Yes, I think it's legal in the running game. That's why the officials say "Illegal chop block, number 61" when making the call. Not all are illegal, but they should be IMO.

Watching the AFCDG, I held my breath every time one of the Baltimore linemen went low on a turning Wilfork. Ridiculously dangerous play.

Spot on, Vuudu - it's Kubiak's bread and butter!

No way! I need the damn thing.

50-yard-line said:

Watching the AFCDG, I held my breath every time one of the Baltimore linemen went low on a turning Wilfork. Ridiculously dangerous play.

Spot on, Vuudu - it's Kubiak's bread and butter!

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Are you sure? I thought his scheme used cut blocks only. If it does affect his scheme I'd be thrilled because our defense doesn't do very well against it.

FibSeq13478 said:

Are you sure? I thought his scheme used cut blocks only. If it does affect his scheme I'd be thrilled because our defense doesn't do very well against it.

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Cut blocks and chop blocks are basically the same thing, with the exception that a cut block is going for the knees of a free player (not occupied) whereas a chop block is going for the knees of an occupied player.

Baltimore employs a lot of cut blocks, a few of which are borderline chop blocks. They count on the fact that you, as the ref, can only have eyes on so many cut blocks that you miss a chop block somewhere in there.

Patriot Missile said:

Not a big fan of it although there is a time and place for it. Just like a slide tackle in soccer. Problem is so many players do it regularly like its part of their everyday game nowadays.

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If it is a RB taking on a free blitzer, it should be legal. If losing that is the price to protect D-linemen from idiot "Zone Blocking" schemes that don't really really on blocking, so be it.

Between the chop block removal and the spot foul for pass interference, these changes sound like kill shots for franchises like Denver and Baltimore.

All blocking at or below the knees should be illegal, anywhere on the field, at any time…period.