Quote:
Originally posted by Ed Hickland
However, contact restrictions begin for B when A is no longer an eligible blocker and that occurs once A is past the expanded neutral zone.
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I would say that the A receiver has to do more than just move past the expanded NZ to no longer be a blocker. Rule 2-30-4 defines an offensive blocker as "a player who is blocking or in position to block
by being between the potential tackler and the runner." There could certainly be a lot of debate about the section I put in italics, but I would interpret it to mean that if an eligible receiver is down field he is still a potential blocker if the QB has the ball and the reciever is between "his" defender and the QB, and once he reaches or passes the yard line of his defender then he sheds his "blocker" status and at that point he can no longer be contacted by that defender(9-2-3d). Obviously once the ball is the air DPI would apply for the B player's contact.
[Edited by PSU213 on Nov 25th, 2003 at 01:29 PM]