[Bob M.]

REPLY: A friend of mine told me what the NFL looks for when a player is suspect for holding at the point of attack: Look for the blockee to make an “unathletic move.” That is, look for him to make a move that in no way resembles what an athlete might do if he were pursuing a runner in a natural, unrestricted way. Examples: look for his shoulders to spin away from his direction of movement; look for his arm to be pulled away from the side of his body so that his balance is compromised. And the big one…look for the blockee to “lose his legs.” This last one deserves a better description. When an athlete moves, he typically has his body over his legs, which provide balance and a foundation for movement. If a player is restricted by an opponent in a manner such that either his legs are pulled out from under his upper body, or his upper body is held so that his unrestricted legs move out from under him, he has “lost his legs.” In such cases, the action by the blocker has clearly prevented his opponent from moving naturally toward the ball carrier. When such a restriction takes place at or close to the point of attack, you have a hold.

Suppose two opponents are facing off at the line of scrimmage. The offensive player grabs a handful of jersey inside. The two continue to face off as the runner passes by them. The NFL calls this a “dance” and will most likely not flag it if the defender is happy to just stand there in an embrace with his opponent. But, if the defender in this scenario makes a move toward the runner and a real restriction to his movement is obvious, you’ll undoubtedly see a flag.

Many college officials use these principles as well. I personally see no reason why they can’t also be used as your decision criteria in lower levels of football.