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Old Sat Jan 12, 2008, 01:28pm
DJ_NV DJ_NV is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 170
Assuming it is a legal block by definition (see rule 2 for definition of legal block within the frame of the blocker and the 'blockee'), it is not holding/illegal use of hands/personal foul, then the answer is a conditional "yes".

Yes he may block an opponent--in this case a DB vs. a WR, until..."[the opponent] is no longer a potential blocker".

What this means in practice is that as long as a receiver (in this case) is head up and attempting to block a defender, the defender can legally block "chuck" whatever....

so the question then becomes, how do we know when he is no longer a potential blocker? The rulebook gives us very little if any help with this one. I believe that most guys in HS apply the philosophy that once the receiver has clearly made a cut on his route and/or looking back for the ball (in HS especially because the ball is coming quick and short most of the time) then he's not a potential blocker. In other words, if the offensive receiver doesn't care where the defender is, then how could he be a potential blocker?

The foul for this is Illegal Use of Hands. in practice, I have very rarely seen this called unless it is egregious. As a BJ in HS, I subscribe to the philosophy of "hands on mean nothing...what did he (the DB) do with his hands?" more than likely I'm going to have DPI because he hit the WR or played through the receiver when the ball was in the air, or holding because the DB knows he's clearly beat and is now in chase mode and just cheating and hanging on to anything just to avoid 6 points.

Even though not technically accurate, you could apply (philosophically) close to the same rule that is in the NCAA code. (As a SJ in NCAA, I find this a bit easier to officiate). The rule states that an eligible receiver cannot be blocked when he occupies the same yardline as the defender. Either way, you have to explain it and justify it per the rulecode that you are using.

Finally, remember that there is no "Illegal contact" rule or the "5-yard rule" like there is in the NFL.

In summary, Defenders are free to legally block a receiver all they want as long as it is not:

1. Holding
2. PI
3. Personal Foul
4. Illegal use of hands (look this one up and you'll have your answer to the original question)
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