More a question on philosophy. Have called helping the runner about five times. All the classic textbook play, either QB keeper with running back coming up to push him through line, or QB hands off to RB and then QB pushes him. But invariably later in game other teams QB sneaks up middle, a running back comes in from the side and joins pile, not making contact with QB, but as pile moves forward maybe he makes some contact with QB. I've never called this helping the runner, but naturally I'm hearing "you called it on us, call them both ways." My question is does helping the runner have to be an intentional act and not just incidental contact with the runner?

wtf

Don't go looking for trouble. The foul must scream out at you.

I agree with Andrew. The only time I have called that penalty in my 36 years was when a guard got in front of his ball-carrying team mate, lifted him by his armpits and pulled him about 4 yards. Easy call. Backs leaning on the ball carrier from the back may technically be helping the runner, but unless you KNOW it actually helped him and that he would not have gained the yardage he did were it not for the push, I say let it go.

I've called it twice - what I'm looking for is something like what Reggie Bush did to Leinart on the last play of the USC-ND game (the most blatant, public example of this foul I've ever seen, including braggadocio by the perpetrator after the fact). Hands on the back of the runner, obviously pushing.

Leaning into the pile, whether contacting the ball carrier or not, is not likely to get the foul.

I think you should tell the Coach "I don't go both ways, and Coach if want it both ways coach, I would prefer you to take the military's philosophy of don't ask, don't tell!"

And that's all I got to say about that!

CBrockett

There is a high school team here that uses
a rugby-like running attack, with linemen
and backs all bunched up and "scrumming"
forward. It is very difficult to see who has the
ball and if there is assiting the runner. I saw
a similar offense back in CNY.
Makes it very tough to call.

Just about the only time I would call aiding the runner would be if one player backed his Chevy Silverado up to the goal line, hooked a tow rope to the QB's facemask and pulled him across the line.

If you have called this 5 times, even in an entire career, you need to understand advantage/disadvantage situations better than you do.

Yes, this is five times in 25 years. And when the teammate follows the running back into the line pushing him forward this is an advantage and is what the rule is designed for. What I was curious about, was if anyone enforced a stricter interpretation of the rule. Personally I would only call it when I felt the contact was intentional and was designed to give the runner extra yardage he would not have gotten on his own. Hmmm sounds like an advantage.

Canadian Philosophy
 

The thought here is that it has to be obvious. Also, we flag it if a 1st down is earned or a score is earned.

I called this penalty the first time this year. This is only my 5th year and is was the first time it "has screamed out at me" as Andrew stated. You'll know when you have to call it, and you will Chevy or no Chevy! It was an obvious call that needed to be made. The offense gained a tremendous advantage unfairly!