When Did This Rule Go Into Effect

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by Ed Hickland

Even worse, in fact, unbelieveable. Our interpreter is saying this rule does not prevent a defender from blocking a receiver running his route and that our association has been not been calling that for the last 20 years.

So when my LJ cautions a player, he tells his coach, who asks me what rule tells him a defender cannot block an eligible receiver all the way downfield, when I don't agree the coach calls the interpreter and tells him we don't know the rules.

I found a 1996 reference in the comic book with an illustration and he still agrees with the coach.

Might it be the way you are phrasing the question. No rule does, "prevent a defender from blocking a receiver running his route", up to and including that point that the received poses a blocking threat to the defender. Once the receiver ceases to be a threat, going past or away from the defender, contacting that receiver can be defensive holding.

If the defensive player is skilled enough to keep the receiver between himself and the ball, all the way down the field, he can legally initiate contact on the receiver, because the receiver still constitutes a blocking threat, up until the point a forward pass is actually thrown