blocking below the waist
 

if a defensive player has a blocker coming at him outside the free blocking zone , can he go low to take out the blocker, or does the same rule for below the waist blocking apply?

No, he cannot. Blocking below the waist is illegal for the offense and defense.

thank you.

Called it last year in a game and had to explain it to the coach. Afterwards he said, "I guess that makes sense, but what is my little DB supposed to do against that fricken huge full back??!! :eek:

Canadian Ruling
 

CANADIAN RULING:

What you called the FBZ, we call the CLPA - Close Line Play Area. BBWs are illegal outside of the CLPA. Even inside, certain additional criteria must be met for them to be legal.

NCAA: Team B players are GENERALLY not restricted from BBW as long as they are in the front of the player and as long as the player being blocked is still "in the play."

So, in federation, ALL BBW is illegal? I knew most of it was, but I thought it was OK for linemen to do it at or behind the LOS.

No.

The answer given was based on the question, "...outside the free blocking zone."

"PRAY"

St. Rita (of Cascia). Featured in "The Rookie" with Dennis Quaid.

http://www.saintritashrine.org/
http://www.catholictradition.org/Cascia/rita.htm
http://www.americancatholic.org/Feat...lt.asp?id=1391

Had it Friday night... LB took out lead blocker at the knees.

Coaches were fumbuzzled. D-coordinator said he's never heard of it. Heck, even took my white hat a second for it to click in his head (talking to you TT :) ).

It all goes back to Rule 2. In coach-speak blocking only applies to the offense. You get the same reaction when you call the even more rare block in the back against the defense. "Blocking is obstructing an opponent...."

I called a block in the back on the defense last year in a JV game (only my second game ever) Coaches screamed at me but I knew I was right. :D

Had an umpire who once called clipping on the defense. The B coach wasn't very happy about it screaming, "the defense can't clip!!!" To which he replied, "you're right coach, the defense can't clip. That's why I threw the flag." This confused the coach quite a bit & I told my umpire he wasn't helping but I thought it was funny as hell.

We umpires don't care if we're helpful. That's why we were moved from the wing to the middle early in our careers. :D

REPLY: Another place where you see a BBW against the defense is on free kicks where the kicking team uses it to take out the wedge. I also called one on a QB who threw an intercepttion and went low to take out the lead blockers on the return. And no...this was not a Hassleback (SB play) where he was really trying to tackle the runner. It was clearly aimed at the lead blockers.