[waltjp]

Originally Posted by yankeesfan

in welpe's first response it says there can be a block below the waist if the players were in the free blocking zone. i thought the defensive lineman must be on the line of scrimmage to be blocked below the waist.

Originally Posted by Welpe

Speaking NFHS rules:

The free blocking zone is three yards deep and four yards wide on each side of the football, which makes its total size 6 yards deep by 8 yards wide. A player is considered in the free blocking zone if only a portion of his person is in the zone. The offense may NOT chop block a defender at any time.

There can be a block below the waist by either the offense or defense as long as A) both players are in the free blocking zone at the snap, B) both players were on the LOS at the snap, C) the block occurs in the free blocking zone and D) the ball is still in the free blocking zone.

Welpe has correctly identified the conditions for a block below waist.