NFHS "Low Block" on defense

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by PaulJak

I think the focus here is on the lead blockers. Blocker is the key here, they are not pretending to be runners. A pulling guard or tackle, the lead back, these are the people who are getting illegally cut.

I know for me, I start watching those lead blockers for potential holds and its not always in my mind to be aware of them getting cut. We've just got to be aware that they can't be cut down when clearing the way.

There's no harm done cutting down a lead blocker once he's thru the hole, which you can hardly distinguish from getting low and in the way of the runner or submarining in an attempt to avoid a block. What the rule is against is the tactic of cutting pulling linemen as they're pulling across the backfield getting to the hole. Defenses had been formulated to make use of their back side linemen, who would wind up uselessly behind the play, by throwing them across the path of pulling OLs. When the current restrictions on BBW were adopted, it must've been this tactic they had in mind when they made it legal for team A but not team B.

Robert