Tripping the Runner

[Bob M.]

REPLY: When I began officiating, tripping the runner was illegal in Fed as well. They changed the rule to allow tripping of the runner in 1981.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

REPLY: When I began officiating, tripping the runner was illegal in Fed as well. They changed the rule to allow tripping of the runner in 1981.

Why do you think they made that change? Was it to get rid of a difficult call? It was a rare one. I'm guessing umpires didn't like looking down & deciding whether a player's foot placement was for support (especially in contact with an opponent) or to trip.

However, since that change was made I have been surprised how few players took advantage of it. I expected a lot of feet to be stuck out.

Robert

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Why do you think they made that change? Was it to get rid of a difficult call? It was a rare one. I'm guessing umpires didn't like looking down & deciding whether a player's foot placement was for support (especially in contact with an opponent) or to trip.

However, since that change was made I have been surprised how few players took advantage of it. I expected a lot of feet to be stuck out.

Robert

REPLY: Here's what the Federation said in their Comments on the 1981 Rules Revisions:

"Previously, it was not legal to clip any opponent except the runner or to trip any oppponent. The revision makes it legal to clip or trip the runner, but no other opponent. The committee agreed that if a runner could be blocked or tackled from behind, it should not be illegal to trip him."

Short and sweet.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

REPLY: Here's what the Federation said in their Comments on the 1981 Rules Revisions:

"Previously, it was not legal to clip any opponent except the runner or to trip any oppponent. The revision makes it legal to clip or trip the runner, but no other opponent. The committee agreed that if a runner could be blocked or tackled from behind, it should not be illegal to trip him."

Short and sweet.

And non sequitur! It's also not legal to knee any opponent or to meet with the knee or fist, and it's not legal to hold any opponent except the runner, so should they have made it legal to knee, punch, or elbow the runner?

You could use the same "logic" to say that as long as it's not legal to pass forward to anyone but a back or an end, that backs & ends should be allowed to be offside or some other privilege.

All the rules committee seemed to be saying was, here's an existing division, and anything on one side of the division could just as well be on the other. I'm not saying legalizing tripping the runner can't be justified, just that what they wrote made no sense.

The Fed football rules committee used to be a model of clarity, precision, deliberation, and good sense. Starting in the late 1970s they went off the rails.

Robert