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.

NF Rule 2-17 details the FBZ. In order for a B player to be legally blocked below the waist or clipped, the A and B players must both have been on the line of scrimmage AND in the FBZ at the snap. On the line of scrimmage for B players is within 1 yard of the NZ (2-25-3). In order to be legally blocked in the back the B player must only have been in the FBZ at the snap, but there is no requirement to be on the line of scrimmage in this case. The A player must be on the line of scrimmage in all cases involving clipping, BIB and IBW.

There was a sit. last year with these types of questions. It involved the "second block" as described in the case book. An initial hit below the waist is legal, but a second hit is not. Case play 9.3.2 Sit F. The one team I had also delayed the initial hit and then went for the legs, which the one coach did not like, as it was a safety concern for his players. Sometimes they were committing it while the ball was in the ENZ, and most of the time the ball was out, so that was an easy flag. It was the times where the ball stayed in that made things tricky, for they were "going for the knees" for the takedown. How does anyone else feel about that?

The most difficult illegal block in the zone to recognize, process and react to may be the linebacker, or defensive lineman going thru the NZ and taking out interference with a low block.

NF: 2.17.2.a advises "All players involved in the blocking (below the waist) are on the line of scrimmage and in the zone at the snap."

Rule book writing is tough.

What is being stated in the Rule Book simply is they do not want a player to have the momentum of charging into the zone and blocking below the waist or clipping because of the danger.

Before the rule was re-written it allowed a player to come into the zone and perform those blocks before the zone disintegrated. If I remember the commentary on the change correctly it emphasized the danger of injury especially to the knee.

If Fed wanted to outlaw all BBW, they'd've written it that way. There are some governing bodies stricter than Fed re BBW. What's that lawyer's saying in Latin that translates something like, "The inclusion of something works to the exclusion of other stuff."? The mere delaying of a hit at the level of the knees (absent the other factors of chop block, etc.) is not per se illegal in Fed, although it would be in WPFL. Sometimes the only way to keep a fast opposing DL from beating a trap block is to lunge and cut or clip. Does that endanger the cruciate ligaments? Of course it does, as has been recognized for a century, but if such concern couldn't be compromised they'd outlaw clipping even against the runner.

Robert

From the 1995 Rules Book "A block from the rear is used in quick "trap" plays and "misdirection" plays. A defensive lineman is allowed to penetrate and is then contacted from behind by a pulling offensive blocker. The purpose of the free-blocking zone is to allow utilization of all aspects of contact with minimal compromise to safety."