Crackback Block
 

I had a coach approach me last night about the rules of a crackback block and when it is legal and illegal. The week before his team was flaged for not giving the defensive player time to turn and protect himself for such a block. I looked up the rules in the Redding book and found no such ruling as far as giving the defensive player time to turn. I did find that 1. The block must be above the waist and 2. The head of A must be in the front of D. Did I miss anything else ?

A crackback block is a big call. It can spring a runner, and it can be dangerous to unsuspecting defensive players.

Is the blocker a WR? I think you've gotten it right. The block is out of the free blocking zone. If the defender didn't turn to "draw" the IBB, then you have a flag.

FredFan7,

Where are you getting if the defensive player has not turned you have a flag?

P.S. Thanks for responding:)

I don't have my Redding book here, but I cannot see that it would say the head had to be in the front of the defender cuz that has NOTHING to do with a block being legal or a BIB. The only factor on a BIB or not is where the head is but if the block meets the definition of a BIB or not.

2-5-2 Blocking in the back is a block against an opponent when the initial contact is in the opponent’s back, inside the shoulders and below the helmet and above the waist, and not against a player who is a runner or pretending to be a runner.

2-5-3 Such cases shall not be ruled clipping and/or blocking in the back unless the official sees the initial contact. When in doubt, the contact is legal and not from behind.

Where the head is has nothing to do with it!!

The player not turning to face the block also has nothing to do with it!!

Canadian Version
 

CANADIAN VERSION:

A crackback block is a UR foul.

Four criteria must be met:

1. The block occurs anywhere from 5 yards ahead of the LS back to the Team A dead ball line.
2. The block is by a player moving towards the ball when it was snapped.
3. The blocker, at some point, was greater than 3 yards outside the Close Line Play Area.
4. The block is below the waist.

Sure thing! If the defender engages in a block, and then turns his back on the blocker while engaged, that is not an IBB.

I want to add the note that coaches refer to a block as a "crackback" now irrespective of whether contact occurs on the player's back. The blocker is "cracking back" towards where the ball was snapped from. Sometimes the block will be referred to simply as a "crack", and a play featuring it will have "crack" as part of its name.

Robert

Crackback blocks are legal in NF rules. A lot of coaches (and some officials) would be really suprised if you told them that, but it's true.

Blocks in the back and blocks below the waist are illegal (in most cases). If a crack back or any other otherwise legal block has those features, then you penalize the BBW or BIB, but not the crackback.

Crackback is a matter of semantics, much like "cut block". Coaching terminology should not be misconstrued as the rules of football but unfortunately they are sometimes.

So far as the "not giving the defneder time to turn" sounds like either someone BS'ing his way out of quoting the rule or trying to get rid of a coach quickly.

Had a team run a play where a wide-out, who was lined up on the LOS went in motion and cracked the end. Called Illegal Motion as the wide-out must be 5yrds back at the snap if he started on the LOS and is in motion. Is this a correct call?

Coach then asked if the wide-out, starting on the line, stepped back and stopped, then went in motion, could he block the end. Fine, as long as it is a legal block?

You are correct. In the first situation, the wide out was guilty of illegal motion. If he shifts to a position in the backfield and there are still seven on the line, he is free to go in motion after he has been set for a second. He can the block legally anyone he wants to.

We had a crackback on the first play that required an injury timeout. The receiver FLATTENED the defender and knocked the wind out of him and no less than three officials saw the legal block.

Coach was livid until he saw that the player had the wind knocked out of him, then he apologized to the wing, saying that it must've been legal with that kind of result.

If you want to seriously talk rules, get the term "crackback" out of your vocabulary. It is not to be found in NFHS rules. All the normal definitions regarding blocking apply here.

After a game last week, I had a parent ask me if "chop" blocks are legal. After talking to him, I found out that he meant blocks below the waist. I explained to him the legalities of blocks below the waist in the free blocking zone, etc.

I wish ESPN would do a show on rules so the average Joe can better understand them. Terminology would be a good place to start.