New trend??

[l3will]

This year, my crew has made this call in three different games. Linebackers
are cutting pulling lineman below their knees. The linebackers were in the free blocking zone, but clearly not on the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped. In all three instances the coaches were insisting that the linebackers could do this because they were in the free blocking zone when doing the block below the waist.

Anyone else seeing this? It appears to me that some coaches are teaching their linebackers to do this.

[ref49873]

Are the linemen currently being blocked by another player besides the linebackers?

If so I would think this would be a chop block and could be flagged as such. This appears to be a saftey issue and I would not allow it to continue.

[l3will]

Originally Posted by ref49873

Are the linemen currently being blocked by another player besides the linebackers?

If so I would think this would be a chop block and could be flagged as such. This appears to be a saftey issue and I would not allow it to continue.

Nope... just the linebacker, and they were flagged for a block below the waist...
it's still a safety issue.

rule 2-17-2... Blocking below the waist is permitted in the free-blocking zone when the following conditions are met:
a. All players involved in the blocking are on the line of scrimmage and in the zone at the snap.
b. The contact is in the zone.

Since the linebacker was in the zone at the snap, but not on the line of scrimmage.... it is an illegal block below the waist.... Rule 9-3-2.

[FredFan7]

Your crew nailed that call spot on.

[l3will]

Originally Posted by FredFan7

Your crew nailed that call spot on.

Thanks.... but my real question is whether there is an increase in this type
of activity.... or whether the three games we had was just an aberration?

[The Roamin' Umpire]

Originally Posted by l3will

Thanks.... but my real question is whether there is an increase in this type
of activity.... or whether the three games we had was just an aberration?

Our association has been told to look for that the last two years, as coaches around here have been training their LBs to do that against option offenses, and the offensive coaches have been getting a bit upset by this.

[ref49873]

Good call. Safety always needs to come first.

I have not seen that type of activity yet this season, but I will now keep a look for it. Was there any commonalities? Same school, conference, etc. Might be something the coaches are trying to get away with.

[Bob M.]

REPLY: I haven't seen it yet either. But I'll be looking for it.

[l3will]

Three different schools... three different conferences. In all three cases the
coach insisted that their linebacker could take out the pulling lineman in such a manner because they started in the free blocking zone... ignoring the part about starting on the line.

Maybe all three just misunderstood the "free blocking zone".... just seemed strange to me that all three thought about it in the same manner. Only the first coach admitted that he had instructed his linebackers to take out the blocking in that manner. I didn't ask... he just told me so.

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by l3will

...Maybe all three just misunderstood the "free blocking zone"....

REPLY: They may not have misunderstood the free blocking zone. But they probably didn't realize that to execute a legal block below the waist, the blockers (and blockees) must be in the free blocking zone and on the line of scrimmage at the snap.

[bossman72]

Originally Posted by l3will

This year, my crew has made this call in three different games. Linebackers
are cutting pulling lineman below their knees. The linebackers were in the free blocking zone, but clearly not on the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped. In all three instances the coaches were insisting that the linebackers could do this because they were in the free blocking zone when doing the block below the waist.

Anyone else seeing this? It appears to me that some coaches are teaching their linebackers to do this.

What about the reverse of this? Would a guard be able to cut a blitzing linebacker who wasn't on the LOS at the time of the snap but was a couple yards back?

[FootballRef05]

Originally Posted by bossman72

What about the reverse of this? Would a guard be able to cut a blitzing linebacker who wasn't on the LOS at the time of the snap but was a couple yards back?

No, all players must be in the free blocking zone AND on their LOS at the snap. It would be a foul on the guard for Ill. BBW.