Face Tackling, Spearing or good hit?

[bigjohn]

YouTube - Big Football Hit - Safety hits FB

[ajmc]

Illegal Helmet contact.

[bigjohn]

OK, which one?

Rule 2 says:
SECTION 20 HELMET CONTACT – ILLEGAL
ART. 1 . . . Illegal helmet contact is an act of initiating contact with the helmet
against an opponent. There are several types of illegal helmet contact:
a. Butt Blocking is an act by an offensive or defensive player who initiates
contact against an opponent who is not a ball carrier with the front of his
helmet.
b. Face Tackling is an act by a defensive player who initiates contact with a
ball carrier with the front of his helmet.
c. Spearing is an act by an offensive or defensive player who initiates contact
against any opponent with the top of his helmet.

S&I Says:

Butt Blocking in 1 and 2 and face tackling in 3 are both tactics which involve driving the face mask, frontal area or top of the helmet directly into an opponent in blocking or tackling respectively. both result in a foul for illegal helmet contact.

[michrefdh]

Originally Posted by ajmc

Illegal Helmet contact.

Leading with the helmet.

[JRutledge]

It does not matter which one, they are all the same foul. If we want to get technical he hit him with the crown of his helmet. If you do not know the difference (which you do not) then that is your problem.

Peace

[Rich]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

OK, which one?

Rule 2 says:
SECTION 20 HELMET CONTACT – ILLEGAL
ART. 1 . . . Illegal helmet contact is an act of initiating contact with the helmet
against an opponent. There are several types of illegal helmet contact:
a. Butt Blocking is an act by an offensive or defensive player who initiates
contact against an opponent who is not a ball carrier with the front of his
helmet.
b. Face Tackling is an act by a defensive player who initiates contact with a
ball carrier with the front of his helmet.
c. Spearing is an act by an offensive or defensive player who initiates contact
against any opponent with the top of his helmet.

S&I Says:

Butt Blocking in 1 and 2 and face tackling in 3 are both tactics which involve driving the face mask, frontal area or top of the helmet directly into an opponent in blocking or tackling respectively. both result in a foul for illegal helmet contact.

Who CARES? All of these fouls carry the same penalty.

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

OK, which one?

That's the point you seem incapable, or unwilling, to accept, that it JUST DOESN'T MATTER. The separate classifications are simply there to help identify the foul situation, which is Illegal Helmet Contact.

[JRutledge]

Can we all agree it is at least not Butt Blocking? (A claim he tried to make earlier with the ball carrier)

Peace

[bigjohn]

I never claimed they were butt blocking either. NEVER!

If it doesn't matter why have all those definitions. Just say any contact initiated with the helmet is illegal?

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

I never claimed they were butt blocking either. NEVER!

If it doesn't matter why have all those definitions. Just say any contact initiated with the helmet is illegal?

Probably because the NFHS really likes their definitions and some people demand everything little thing be explained/defined. For officials, it doesn't really matter which one it is because all 3 carry the same penalty and the same signal.

But regarding your question of which is it....let's go to the video.

OK, we have clear IHC (yay, you found one).
Does the player contact an opponent who does NOT have the ball? No, so that eliminates Butt Block.
Does the player contact an opponent with the front or the top of the helmet? Sure looks like the top to me, so that would make it a Spear if one needs to get technical about it.

Now that wasn't so tuff, was it?

[bigjohn]

Just play along with me Mike.

S&I Says:

Butt Blocking in 1 and 2 and face tackling in 3 are both tactics which involve driving the face mask, frontal area or top of the helmet directly into an opponent in blocking or tackling respectively. both result in a foul for illegal helmet contact.

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

Just play along with me Mike.

S&I Says:

Butt Blocking in 1 and 2 and face tackling in 3 are both tactics which involve driving the face mask, frontal area or top of the helmet directly into an opponent in blocking or tackling respectively. both result in a foul for illegal helmet contact.

I'll take your word for it since I don't use the comic book. But the rule book gives you the definition of a butt block that you posted above. That's all you really need. And, when there is any conflict between the rule book and the case book and/or comic book, guess which one wins.

[bigjohn]

That is the only thing, Mike. In my experience guys hate to call SPEARING. It sounds so violent!

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

That is the only thing, Mike. In my experience guys hate to call SPEARING. It sounds so violent!

I think we've shown you here that most guys don't really give a damn if it's spearing, butt blocking or face tackling. Because to most officials it doesn't matter, it's all the same. I know when I announce the foul it's simply IHC. If, on those rare times when a coach asks my sideline guy exactly what their player did, they get a "coach, he led with his helmet". Amazingly, although they may complain that's not what he did, they've never and I mean never have asked what type of helmet contact it was.

[chymechowder]

Originally Posted by Mike L

OK, we have clear IHC (yay, you found one).

this was really funny. I think even you'd agree, right bigjohn?