No Longer a Potential Blocker

[kdf5]

Originally Posted by ajmc

Semantics can create a lot of unnecessary trouble, especially when taken out of context. Case Book 9.2.3.A specifically relates to a receiver cutting away from a defender, pursued and pushed by a defender as the receiver is moving away. Of course this situation is illegal use of the hands, but is not the situation described in the original question.

NF:9.2.3.d is not complicated; "A defensive player shall not (d): Contact an eligible receiver who is no longer a potential blocker". Obviously, the key is what is determined by what "no longer a potential blocker" means.

That has long been understood to mean, any offensive player between a runner and a defensive player is a potential blocker. Before a passer actually throws a football, he is a runner, and every offensive player between that runner and every defensive player is a potential blocker, and therefore can be legally contacted before the ball is actually thrown.

As long as the defensive player can keep his opponent between him and the runner, all the way to the end line, he can consider the opponent a "potential blocker", and legally initiate contact. As the case book points out, when the offensive player moves away from, or past, the defender the threat he poses, as a potential blocker, evaporates as does the protection the defensive player enjoys from contecting him.

The key is not about potential blockers. 9-2-3d talks about contacting eligible receivers. If A1 is an eligible receiver he can't be contacted if "the receiver is not attempting to block or has gone past or is moving away". The original play does indeed talk about "chucking a receiver downfield". You need to distinguish between "potential blockers" and "potential blockers who are eligible receivers".

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by kdf5

You need to distinguish between "potential blockers" and "potential blockers who are eligible receivers".

Perhaps there is a difference at other levels of the game, but at the NFHS level there is no difference, all offensive players, other than a runner, are potential blockers and potential receivers don't become potential receivers until a forward pass is thrown.

[kdf5]

Originally Posted by ajmc

....and potential receivers don't become potential receivers until a forward pass is thrown.

Where did you get that? If you can cite a rule I'd like to see it. YOU quoted 9-2-3d. It talks about eligible receivers, not potential receivers. Eligible receivers are defined in 7-5-6. I don't think I've seen the term potential receivers anywhere. A potential blocker can be contacted as much as a defender wants to, within the rules, but an eligible receiver who's a potential blocker is going to receive some protection and can't be contacted "all the way to the end line" if he's not attempting to block or moving past or away from the defender. Am I flagging B if he's running side by side with A and A's not blocking B? Probably not unless B's actions are pretty egregious.