Legal Blocking Technique? (NFHS)

[RazorRef]

I wish more coaches would post films like this!! Great stuff.

I had legal, legal, illegal.

[The Roamin' Umpire]

I've got the first block as illegal - looks to me like Black #34 is blocking Orange #65, and just happens to get Orange #77 in the process.

Second one is simultaneous - no foul.

Third one, as previously stated, is a clear chop block.

Catch is, I doubt that I would have a flag on the first one. At full speed in real time, this would probably be a case of "I think that was a foul; therefore it wasn't."

[Forksref]

Originally posted by ljudge
I wish more coaches would take the time to post videos like this. 99.999% of the time we respond to written questions about the legality of stuff. Now, as a group we're all seeing the exact same thing and comment on exactly what we have right in front of all our eyes.

I needed to watch it a few times and definitely in agreement of legal, legal, and chop in 3rd.

We did a varsity game 2 weeks ago in which the coach questioned our calls on illegal formation (not 7 on the line). I think we had 2 flags because the receivers were not clearly off the line. On the following Monday, the coach receives a rating card on the crew. I got the card back yesterday and the coach said, "Good job, we looked at the tape and every time we questioned something in the game, we were wrong." The coach gave our crew the highest rating possible. I am glad that some coaches look carefully at the tapes. I guess you can call this un-instant replay, but like most replays, it shows the officials to be correct.

[BayouUmp]

Originally posted by The Roamin' Umpire
I've got the first block as illegal - looks to me like Black #34 is blocking Orange #65, and just happens to get Orange #77 in the process.

Second one is simultaneous - no foul.

Third one, as previously stated, is a clear chop block.

Catch is, I doubt that I would have a flag on the first one. At full speed in real time, this would probably be a case of "I think that was a foul; therefore it wasn't."

I agree with Roamin'...#1 looks like a chop but the block below the waist just wasn't as effective as in #3. This looks like a blocking scheme against #65. If I saw #3 first in the game, I'd probably flag all 3.

[SoGARef]

In the first play #34 dives at the legs of #77 who is not within 1 yard of the LOS. #65 is contactd by another player who pushes him over #34 laying on the gound. My call would be an illegal block below the waist by #34.

In the second play #65 is contacted simultaneously by #34 and the center. Both offensive players are on the LOS and #65 is within 1 yard of the LOS. My call would be a legal block in the free blocking zone.

In the third play, #65 is posted up by the center and #34 makes a delayed contact at #65's legs. My call would be a chop block on #34.

[UmpJM]

Thanks to all who replied.

In case anyone's wondering, I'm with the orange team.

I did not notice this happening during the game. When I watched the tape, the 3rd play in the sequence was the one that caught my attention. So, I went back through the tape looking for it. The offensive team ran 19 offensive plays from scrimmage in the first half of this game. They used this blocking scheme on 8 of those plays. The blocking scheme was always used away from playside, and, in my opinion, the left Off. End committed an illegal chop block on six of those eight plays.

I'm of a like mind with those who considered the first and third plays posted as chop blocks and the 2nd play as legal (because the double team block was more or less simultaneous on the 2nd play).

To those who commented on the absence of officials in the footage, they are there; they're just outside the frame of the video. These games are officiated by three-man crews who are IHSA-certified. They position themselves in the traditional Linesman, Line Judge, and Referee positions. Nothing was called on any of the plays. My concern is not so much with the officiating. I believe that this is going to be very difficult for the officials to catch because it's happening away from the action of the play, it's on the interior line, and there is no official in the Umpire position, which would be the best vantage from which to see it. I certainly didn't see it happening during the game & if the camera hadn't had such a good angle & unobstructed view of the 3rd play posted, I might not have noticed it even watching the video in slow motion.

(To those who commented on the abundance of cheerleaders, I'll just say it certainly isn't my idea.)

My reasons for posting are twofold:

1. To get some objective confirmation (or not) that this was in fact illegal chop-blocking.

2. To get some opinions/advice on if and how to follow-up.

I believe that if the young man continues blocking this way, it is quite likely that he is going to seriously injure the leg of the player he is blocking.

After carefully reviewing the video, I have formed the following opinions:

1. As Jim S. & BayouUmp astutely observe, the double team is a designed blocking scheme that the player has been taught.

2. The player did not strike me as a "dirty" player. I very carefully watched him on plays where this scheme was not used, & he struck me as just a good player who tried to fulfill his assignment.

3. When the play was run the opposite way, the Right Off. End would double team the Left DT - but he always hit him at/above the waist. Perfectly legal & not that dangerous to the man being blocked. This leads me to the (provisional) opinion that the young man's coaches are not trying to teach him to cripple his opponents through illegal and dangerous techniques. I could, of course, be wrong on this point.

Anyway, this strikes me as serious enough that something needs to be done to stop it.

I would appreciate any advice on how to best follow-up. Contact the team? The league? The Officials' Association? Just drop it?

Thanks for any thoughts you might have on whether this makes sense, & if so how best to proceed.

Thanks.

JM

[l3will]

Old three man mechanics would normally use a Referee, Linesman and an Umpire which might help catch this.

My thought would be to show this to the opposing team's coach and point out to him that this is an illegal technique. That is very clear in the third play that is shown. I'd also show this to your league officials with the recommendation that all coaches be made aware that this is an illegal blocking technique and also made aware of the safety aspect.

That's where I think I would start.

[waltjp]

Originally posted by l3will
Old three man mechanics would normally use a Referee, Linesman and an Umpire which might help catch this.

My thought would be to show this to the opposing team's coach and point out to him that this is an illegal technique. That is very clear in the third play that is shown. I'd also show this to your league officials with the recommendation that all coaches be made aware that this is an illegal blocking technique and also made aware of the safety aspect.

That's where I think I would start.

It's also quite possible that the other coach isn't aware of this since it was not called during the game. I agree in approaching him but I'd do so carefully. You don't want to make him defensive from the start. Instead, you just want to show him what you have and ask him to correct it.

[The Roamin' Umpire]

In addition to showing this to your opposite number, since he probably isn't aware of it, I would also show this to the officers of the athletic association. Use the fact that a dangerous block like this is being missed to lobby for four officials to be put on games at that level.

We've got the same problem here - only three guys for middle school, frosh, and JV games. (And only four for varsity. - amazingly, Pop Warner also pays for four.)