chop block
 

I was watching a DI game on TV Saturday. The R announced the flag on the last play was for an "illegal chop block." I know in NF a chop block is never legal. Is there any time it is legal in NCAA?

Just curious....thanks.

He may have done that for the audience as well considering many people consider all low blocks "chops" or "cuts".

REPLY: No. A chop block by definition (2-3-3) is defined to include only those combination blocks that are illegal. Any combination block that's legal will not be called a chop block. So the R in the game you watched was being repetitively redundant. :rolleyes:

That said, I can't count the number of high school coaches who think that every low block is an illegal block, and scream about them constantly from the sidelines ...

I also think, that by definition, a chop block only occurs in the free blocking zone.

No a chop block is not confined to the free blocking zone....I called one downfield a couple seasons ago...about 15 yrds down field....they are ugly and I wish that the HFHS would go to the college rule (pre 2008) and any combination block that included a low block...ie low high, high low, and low low as opposed to only penalizing if the 2nd block is low...the NCAA this year took out the low low combination block from the chop definition.....

Don't you see any physiologic reason for distinguishing the combination and order? Low and then high, although it may be a difficult thing for the official to distinguish from high and then low, is no more dangerous to the knees than any low block alone.

Robert

Any combination in NCAA is by definition a chop block. No high-low block period. NCAA changed that rule this year.

Peace

Then you called it incorrectly. By definition a chop block can only occur in the FBZ. Anywhere else and it's just a BBW.

Pretty sure he's talking about calling it in a college game. And a chop block is illegal anywhere on the field in college.

REPLY: That's not quite true, Jeff. A simultaneous high-low or low-high block by adjacent linemen in the neutral zone is still legal in NCAA.

Bob, this is a new rule change for this year. No more high low blocks not matter if there is a delay or not.

I believe the NFL did the same thing with this kind of block.

Peace

REPLY: Jeff, I'm sorry. You're right. I was inadvertently referencing the 2007 rule book. Thanks for catching that. One thing to note however: The "low" component is at the thigh or below--not the knee.

No big deal, I only knew it was a rule because one association I belong to talks about college rules all the time. I only work a JV game or two and I am a deep wing. I almost never see this play.

Peace