Thread: Psk
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Old Sat Jan 24, 2009, 11:32am
ajmc ajmc is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike L View Post
Nothing nefarious or "silver bullety" about it. I'm not sure there is any rule support in doing so. Because some coaches do know the rules.
Coach "was your RTP call because the hit was late?"
Me "no, it was because your guy hit him in the head."
Coach "well I can maybe understand a personal foul there, but where in the rules does it say a hit to the head makes it roughing the passer?"
How are you going to answer that?
The problem here is your first answer was simply incomplete. Had your answer been, "no, it was because your guy hit him in the head while he was still a passer", there shouldn't have been any more questions. The other indisputable factor is that the determination of what constitutes late is yours alone to make.

Anybody else is entitled to their opinion, but the judgment is your's alone to make.

For both Roughing the kicker, as well as roughing the passer, the rules clearly place the emphasis, the responsibility to avoid such contact on the defender. The defender is responsible to guage his charge to avoid such contact.

NF: 9.4 "Defensive players must make a definite effort to avoid charging into the passer."

NF:9.5 "A defensive player shall neither run into the licker or holder...not block, tackle or charge into the kicker....

Both rules allow for conditions that mitigate the responsibility, but the PRIMARY responsibility to avoid contact rests with the defense, who should completely understand that before initiating their charge.
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