After receiving my schedule for the upcoming season, it motivated me to speed up the pace of my rule book study sessions. While reading each rule, I try to imagine situational plays to help the process sink in... this one crossed my mind.

A1 runs a sweep around end and as B1 approaches A1 extends his arm (proverbial straight arm) and makes contact with his hand upon B1's helmet and knocks B1 to the ground and continues downfield. By NF rules, is this a legal block by A1???

Legal.

Legal as long as he doesn't grab the facemask...

Sounds good, and will will have players on B team giving their teammate crap for weeks, a wow from the crowd, and the girls loving the back that made the stiff arm after the game.

The reason I proposed the question was based on reading Rule 2-3 "The blocker may not intitate contact with his arm or hand against an opponent above the opponent's shoulder..."
But in reading thru the rules further I did find in rule 9-2-1 "An offensive player (except the runner) shall not (a) use a blocking technique which is not permissible by rule. Specifically 2-3-2,3.

This supports your answers... thanks !!!