free blocking zone
 

does a defensive player have to be within 1 yard or 3 yards of the ball to be in the free blocking zone? also, if the defense is within the free blocking zone can there be a high/low(chop) hit if the ball is still in the zone?

REPLY: To be within the FBZ, a defensive player must be within 3 yards of his defensive LOS. However, be aware that certain blocking rules that require that a defender be within one yard of the LOS, e.g. the right to block him below the waist. And, a chop block is always illegal and for that block the FBZ is immaterial.

Speaking NFHS rules:

The free blocking zone is three yards deep and four yards wide on each side of the football, which makes its total size 6 yards deep by 8 yards wide. A player is considered in the free blocking zone if only a portion of his person is in the zone. The offense may NOT chop block a defender at any time.

There can be a block below the waist by either the offense or defense as long as A) both players are in the free blocking zone at the snap, B) both players were on the LOS at the snap, C) the block occurs in the free blocking zone and D) the ball is still in the free blocking zone.

i disagree with your interpretation here. a defensive player must be within one yard of the line of scrimmage to be "illegally blocked." that is why i posted this. the free blocking zone is a little contradictive.

In regards to the FBZ, a defensive lineman must be:

on the line at the snap to be legally clipped
on the line at the snap to be legally blocked below the waist
within the zone at the snap to be legally blocked in the back.

The name, "chop block" is often misused by coaches to mean a block below the waist---it is not. It is an illegal double team block that is always illegal.

I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to say. An illegal block can occur anywhere on the field... My "interpretation" is straight out of the rulebook.

REPLY: Niner and Welpe are corrrect...a defender can be legally blocked in the back if he is in the FBZ at the snap and the block occurs in the FBZ--even though he might be 2.5 yards off the LOS at the snap

in welpe's first response it says there can be a block below the waist if the players were in the free blocking zone. i thought the defensive lineman must be on the line of scrimmage to be blocked below the waist.

Welpe has correctly identified the conditions for a block below waist.

Just a refinement. Offensive players MUST be on the line of scrimmage at the snap to clip, block below the waist or in the back. Defensive players MUST be on the line of scrimmage to be blocked or to block below the waist and be clipped. Defensive players can be blocked in the back if they are in the free blocking zone.

Remember, the defensive line, by definition, is one yard beyond the neutral zone, so, when the book reads defensive line that is one yard.

Bob,
I totally agree with you that a chop block is an illegal block ANYWHERE on the field. But for test taking purposes, a chop block (by definition) MUST take place in the FBZ. If there was a player of B engaged with a player of A and they happened to be outside the FBZ and then another player of A came and took out the B player at the knees, we'd have a foul. But it wouldn't be a chop block. It would be an illegal block below the waist. Same result, 15 yards and no automatic first down. AND, I wouldn't hesitate to eject a player if I thought it was bad enough. So, all I'm saying is that the FBZ does matter in regards to what you name the foul.

"But for test taking purposes, a chop block (by definition) MUST take place in the FBZ."

Please explain why a chop block cannot take place outside the FBZ.

I don't think anyone is saying that an act in all ways resembling a chop block can't happen anywhere on the field. However 2-3-8 is very specific on what we are to call a chop block and not just blocking below the waist.

2-3-8 Chop block is a delayed block at the knees or below against an opponent who is in contact with a teammate of the blocker in the free-blocking zone.

This is very location specific though we don't really care yardage-wise if it is a chop block or just blocking below the waist.

Thanks Warrenkicker. I couldn't have said it any better.

REPLY: Right...if it happened downfield, it couldn't be called a chop block, but the action would still be illegal as a block below the waist.