Pulling the pile?

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

The OP said the player was pulling THE PILE. I assumed this meant "not the runner". The rule you describe makes it illegal to pull the teammate IN POSSESSION OF A LIVE BALL... but not just some random player in the pile.

If you're on offense, who are you allowed to pull? Some player away from the play, OK. We had a goofy play in touch football where receivers interlaced elbows and did a 360 before separating...that would be legal. But who in cx with a pile could you legally pull on? You can't use your hands & arms to interlock in interference for the runner, and you can't pull a defender away from the runner -- or towards the runner, for that matter. Who does that leave?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

If you're on offense, who are you allowed to pull? Some player away from the play, OK. We had a goofy play in touch football where receivers interlaced elbows and did a 360 before separating...that would be legal. But who in cx with a pile could you legally pull on? You can't use your hands & arms to interlock in interference for the runner, and you can't pull a defender away from the runner -- or towards the runner, for that matter. Who does that leave?

9 other players. 41% of the people on the field.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

9 other players. 41% of the people on the field.

When they're part of a pile? No way.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

When they're part of a pile? No way.

There are no rules whatsoever that say what you can do to a teammate that doesn't have the ball, with the exception of interlocking your arms while blocking. Pushing or pulling on your own player who does not have the ball is not illegal.

[HLin NC]

You know, I've found the "ignore poster" function in the user CP is a blissful experience.

[bigjohn]

#32 is pushing the runner!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

[bcl1127]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

#32 is pushing the runner!

Picasa Web Albums - john knight

sideways and not assisting the runner in moving forward, if anything it appears he pushes the runner into the defender. This is a penalty that is called, but it needs to be obvious assisting of the runner. I have called it two times, and each time it was like a train moving down the field with a runner and another player right on his back pushing.

in your world, if a player lays a pinky on the runner it is a foul...

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

There are no rules whatsoever that say what you can do to a teammate that doesn't have the ball, with the exception of interlocking your arms while blocking. Pushing or pulling on your own player who does not have the ball is not illegal.

Fed 2-3-9: "Interlocked blocking occurs when one player grasps or encircles a teammate just prior to or while blocking an opponent."

NCAA: "Teammates of the ball carrier or passer...shall not use interlocked interference by grasping or encircling one another in any manner while contacting an opponent."

How can you pull without grasping?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Fed 2-3-9: "Interlocked blocking occurs when one player grasps or encircles a teammate just prior to or while blocking an opponent."

NCAA: "Teammates of the ball carrier or passer...shall not use interlocked interference by grasping or encircling one another in any manner while contacting an opponent."

How can you pull without grasping?

Now I know I'm being punked. I'm not going to define "while blocking" or "while contacting an opponent" for you, but that rule is completely inapplicable in the situation we're discussing.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Now I know I'm being punked. I'm not going to define "while blocking" or "while contacting an opponent" for you, but that rule is completely inapplicable in the situation we're discussing.

How else do you conceive the "pile" the original poster said was referenced by the official? How could players possibly be said to be part of a pile without being in contact?