NFL bans ALL hits where player lowers head

[RayClay]

I understand your position but you can enforce that sort of fear by leading with your shoulder.

Shoulders don't hurt? That's flesh on flesh, not at all a valid comparison.

 

[ausbacker]

Shoulders don't hurt? That's flesh on flesh, not at all a valid comparison.

********.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Good for you, go watch some rugby!

Football might have evolved from rugby -- about 100 years ago. Comparing rugby to the NFL is not just apples and oranges, it's apples vs. watermelon.

I, uh...do like watermelon...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

********.

How come you get to say it?

I've spent the last three days practicing saying "horse manure" over and over, and they just let you up and say it?


...it's okay, I'm a Pats fan, I'm just used to being picked on...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

To be fair to the NFL, all 4 of the U.S. major sports are making major rules changes that make their games suck a lot more. The NFL is not the only league where stupidity is the order of the day.

Ahem, ahem and

BTW, what the hell?
...my eyes are burning...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Hmmm..

Bravo...we're already in mid-season form...Atlanta or Bust!!!

...or both, whatever, man...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Hmmm..

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Name one tackling technique which prevents sub-concussive hits.

I believe being tackled by an NFL lineman's sized posterior completely prevents concussions, however, it significantly increases the chances of neuro-sociological degeneration.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I believe being tackled by an NFL lineman's sized posterior completely prevents concussions, however, it significantly increases the chances of neuro-sociological degeneration.

Point taken. I don't think Dirty Sanchez experienced a sub concussive hit during the butt-fumble

 

[RayClay]

********.

Saying ******** doesn't make a collision with a shoulder the same as a collision with a hard impact surface. A helmet doesn't have soft tissue,skin and a joint which is easy to injure.

 

[maineman209]

So what do you do if you're a defensive guy and the guy your about to tackle instinctively lowers their head? You're going to see alot of missed tackles and sloppy play in the NFL this year. Every game is going to be like the SB. No punts.

So, it doesn't look like Countess lowered his head or lead with his helmet. It was the timing of the hit ("defenseless receiver") as judged by the official.

Meanwhile, WTF was #23 of the Rams doing on that play? WTF was he looking at?

 

[maineman209]

I’m just hoping that when I watch the game, I won’t notice too big of a difference. That’s all I can hope for.

If you're watching the Patriots, you may not notice a difference. Snark about the inability of any Pats defender to make any kind of tackle in the SB aside, I don't often see Pats defenders going for "the big hit" rather than a solid, wrap-up tackle (like their taught).

The new rules may not require much adjustment by Patriots players at all, compared to players (especially "star" players) on other teams. Advantage, Patriots.

 

[maineman209]

Point taken. I don't think Dirty Sanchez experienced a sub concussive hit during the butt-fumble

Depends on wether or not the lineman was experiencing a cranio-rectal inversion at the time.

 

[IllegalContact]

So what you're saying is because you have a helmet, players have to use it as a weapon? If that's the case, who then becomes responsible for the prevalence of CTE? The league or the players stupid enough to use their "protected" head as a weapon?

players have a choice to do what it takes to stay on top of the game (the are competitors) or sit down....they make tackles and hits while trying to do their best.

Seau literally did it to himself......Duerson did it to himself

 

[IllegalContact]

If you're watching the Patriots, you may not notice a difference. Snark about the inability of any Pats defender to make any kind of tackle in the SB aside, I don't often see Pats defenders going for "the big hit" rather than a solid, wrap-up tackle (like their taught).

The new rules may not require much adjustment by Patriots players at all, compared to players (especially "star" players) on other teams. Advantage, Patriots.

this is very true.......now all defenses will look like the pats defense

 

[Tony2046]

As someone from a country where contact sport players know how to execute a tackle properly, I've never been able to understand why NFL players lead with their helmets.

Dude. Rugby players don't wear helmets so of course they're not leading with their heads.

By the way, how can you spot a rookie Rugby player? He's the one without the F'ed up cauliflower ears. Maybe they should learn proper scrummage technique?

 

[Tony2046]

No, it doesn't. It demonstrates what can happen when you get there early and have to adjust on the fly because you mistimed your attempt.



It's fascinating to read the people who don't seem to understand what this rule actually says. There's a reason why the league has already said that it's going to spend the entire offseason (a/k/a upcoming months) explaining how the rule is going to be applied to the teams, and it's not because the rule is going to be applied as written.



You have to be either ignorant or a fool to think that rule, enforced as written, is a good idea.

FLAG!! "Nose Tackle and Center both lead with their helmets" "Penalties offset...replay the down"

Playing Rule 8a: Linemen must start the play from an upright position.

 

[dtbrks]

just my opinion: My son played 4 years of varsity HS ball and is going to play D1 next year in college. His HS coach teached and enforced them to never to lead with their helmet and those boys still hit hard and there were no self induced concussions. If you start early enough, the kids will know how to tackle without leading with the helmet. Will it happen once in a while, sure..

 

[Stumpy]

And we shall continue to see offensive records broken as the NFL continues it's march to becoming flag football.

 

[Deus Irae]

“It’s a substantial change,” McKay said. “Lowering their head, creating a different spine angle, and delivering a blow . . . we need to protect all players at all times and say that technique is not allowed. So if you lower your head to initiate contact and you initiate, it’s a foul. . . . It’s one of the most dangerous techniques there is, but yet we’ve allowed it to creep in and it’s now very prevalent. And we need to get it out. And we’re not going to get it out by saying, ‘We need to teach it better,’ we’re going to get it out by penalizing it.”

McKay made clear that this is not just a rule that applies in certain situations, such as hits on defenseless receivers or quarterbacks. This rule applies to everyone: Offense and defense, receivers and safeties, blockers and pass rushers, ball carriers and tacklers. If you’re on the football field, you’re not allowed to lower your head to initiate contact with your helmet. If you do, you won’t be on the football field anymore.

NFL vows lowering helmet rule will be “a substantial change” to the sport