Why is Stif Arming Legal?

[Michael Jordan]

I'm a Basketball Ref entering into my 9th season and I'm preparing myself for football in 2003. I've noticed that this year, there has been an emphasis on protecting the heads of the offensive players by penalizing defenders for leading with the helmet on tackles and striking their opponents in the head with a clothesline or forearm tackle. Defenders are also being penalized for grasping the facemask and depending on the severity, it will be a 5 or 15 yarder.
My questions to the forum are why are offensive ball carriers allowed to lead with their heads when going for the extra yard and why are ball carriers allowed to stiff arm the heads of the defenders and grasp the facemasks of their opponents without penalty. I sat in horror as I watched a cornerback being carried away in a stretcher last Friday night after he was given a stiff arm while in pursuit of a running back.

[jfurdell]

Grasping the face mask is actually illegal even if the runner does it. In NFHS it's 5 yards for grasping (or 15 yards for twisting), and always 15 in NCAA when the offense does it.

A stiff arm to the face mask (i.e. without grasping it) by the runner is legal. The runner is allowed to use his arms to ward off tacklers, and the tacklers just have to know to be ready for it.

However, you have some leeway here if you think the runner's arm is moving in such a way that it's dangerous to the potential tacker. There's no reason you couldn't call a personal foul if the runner e.g. sticks his arm out quickly and forcefully to meet the tackler's face mask and snaps his neck back. However, if the runner has his arm sticking out straight before the defender gets there, it's legal.

As for leading with the helmet, if you feel the runner is doing it to "punish an opponent", it's spearing, a 15-yard penalty. Definitely penalize tackers who lead with the helmet, since that risks a spinal injury to the tackler.