Video Play #3 from last friday night
 

Here is play #3

An illegal block in the back is called towards the end of the punt return on Red #27.

Press box view of the play

End Zone view of the play

End Zone view of the block in slow motion

What are your thoughts on the legality of this block?

My thoughts:

• The blocker is chasing the defender from behind
• The defender falls flat on his face when hit
• While there appears to be some contact on the side, the majority of the contact seems to be in the back

I'd more than likely flag it.

what welpe said
 

plus there is a pretty big advantage gained

Hard to tell, but probably.

Who called it?
 

That's a fairly easy call for me. I'd definately flag it. Who called it, though. The referee was looking right at it but didn't throw the flag. I didn't see the deep judge or wing do it. Did the U offscreen throw his flag?

I am going to have to disagree with most here. I think this was a clean block. The player falling is only an indication as to the foul; it is not the deciding factor. It looks to me like he was hit on the side and it took him a while to fall. If anything, the two were running side by side and the defender kind of turned on him. I would pass on this based on what I just saw.

Peace

That was another issue with the play. Neither the R, the Linesman, or the umpire threw the flag...it was the back judge from 30-40 yards from behind the play

Quite easily could have been a flag. Can't quite tell from the video, though.

Could be, but we look for a solid hit between the shoulder blades before we call that. It does look bad because of the way the player falls, but the blocker is also almost right beside him when contact is made. So, unless I'm the trailing guy who can see the blocker stiff arm him right in the back, I'm passing.

A block in the back is just that, contact initiated between the shoulder blades. I find the position of the offensive player almost impossible to make that contact. The player falls down in an unathletic move but it appears to be from jostling, incidental contact, no foul.

I agree. I don't see a foul.

Hmmm...well maybe I need to adjust my philosophy. Kant get them all right.

Not the biggest BIB I've ever seen, but it qualifies in my opinion and, more importantly, it looks like an advantage was gained. I'd flag it.

That's why we get paid the big bucks, to see plays like that and make decisions....

Before the clarified and division of the clipping rule in 2002 this might have been considered as an illegal block. Now, the rule plainly states "in the opponent's back, inside the shoulders and below the helmet and above the waist."

So, initial contact outside the shoulder blade is perfectly legal. In watching this play the A player catches up to the B player on his side. Play close attention to the A player's left arm. Since he is on the side of the B player in order to block in the back he must raise his arm and he never does.