Rule Question

[Welpe]

I've called contact above the shoulders a couple of times. I don't think I've ever seen a flipper.

At what point would we consider calling one of these a PF for for striking instead of illegal use of the hands?

Also, why is the foul for a defensive player slapping the head of an offensive player specifically enumerated as a PF and not covered under the general "striking" PF?

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by Welpe

Also, why is the foul for a defensive player slapping the head of an offensive player specifically enumerated as a PF and not covered under the general "striking" PF?

The head slap was a common defensive technique back in the day. We were taught to slap the blocker in the ear hole.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Welpe

I've called contact above the shoulders a couple of times. I don't think I've ever seen a flipper.

Most coaches AFAIK who use the term refer to the "flipper" as the arm held that way, with the hand close to the chest, so that the ulnar surface of the forearm can be used to make contact, regardless of where it lands, not specifically to refer to a blow to the chops. Before the rules on use of the hands were liberalized, the rules really encouraged flipper contact. A player who blocks with the shoulder can use the "flipper" of the same arm to increase the area of contact, or have it free to protect the gap.

At what point would we consider calling one of these a PF for for striking instead of illegal use of the hands?

If the ulnar surface of the forearm was used on the neck or chin as a deliberate point of initial contact or if it looked as though it was deliberately slid upward after the intial contact and wound up delivering an intentional or unintentional uppercut -- in other words, more of the time than illegal use of hands would be the only justified call. I could see it being merely illegal use of hands & arms if a rushing defender were using his hand to try to turn the far shoulder of a blocker and in reaching across made inadvertent forearm contact with the neck.

Robert