what's with all this hair?

[Rickwill]

Hey, all this hair is getting out of hand. how long does a ball carrier's hair have to be before a defender can use it to tackle him? Seems its going to take someone's scalp getting pulled off before this is addressed. Thanks.

[JRutledge]

The hair might be getting out of hand, but it is not illegal to pull it if that is the ball carrier is the one's hair being pulled.

Peace

[Rickwill]

Thanks. So, regardless of the length, a defender can tackle the ball carrier by the hair? Thanks, Rick

[MN BB Ref]

Originally Posted by Rickwill

Thanks. So, regardless of the length, a defender can tackle the ball carrier by the hair? Thanks, Rick

I'm guessing it might be frowned upon however to reach up under the helmet opening to grasp someone's short hair.

[Rickwill]

haha. I just feel that someone's scalp is going to get ripped off, but I suppose there is no rule change that could ever be enacted here. Thanks.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rickwill

Thanks. So, regardless of the length, a defender can tackle the ball carrier by the hair? Thanks, Rick

There is no length requirement. And if there was who is going to measure this?

At least the players know they are doing this totally at their own risk.

BTW, I rarely ever see this as an issue. I have seen it one time in the pros and maybe once in college. And these are in places where every other player has really long hair coming out of their helmet.

Peace

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

There is no length requirement. And if there was who is going to measure this?

At least the players know they are doing this totally at their own risk.

BTW, I rarely ever see this as an issue. I have seen it one time in the pros and maybe once in college. And these are in places where every other player has really long hair coming out of their helmet.

Peace

Marion Barber got tackled by the hair while with the Cowboys, preventing a touchdown near the end of the game.

[Rickwill]

great point, if the ball carrier doesn't want the risk, then get a hair cut. duh.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Marion Barber got tackled by the hair while with the Cowboys, preventing a touchdown near the end of the game.

I said what I had seen. I am sure it happened more than what I had seen. And that was some time ago if you are talking about what Barber did with the Cowboys.

Maybe if it was common then it would be an issue, but it is so rare and no one gets hurt, why create a rule for a fixable situation? And I realize you are probably not asking that question as the OPer was.

Peace

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Rickwill

Hey, all this hair is getting out of hand. how long does a ball carrier's hair have to be before a defender can use it to tackle him?

Head hair and beards are parts of the head, right? So tackling by pulling the hair should be legal only to the extent tackling by the head is legal. Seriously, what is the difference what purchase someone has if it results in the same bending of the neck?

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Head hair and beards are parts of the head, right? So tackling by pulling the hair should be legal only to the extent tackling by the head is legal. Seriously, what is the difference what purchase someone has if it results in the same bending of the neck?

Please don't give the rules makes another option to wussify the game.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Please don't give the rules makes another option to wussify the game.

Wouldn't hair pulling be practically paridigmatic of wussy?

[JasonTX]

Make the rule change be that no hair can stick out of the helmet. Don't punish the tackler, make the kid cut his hair.

I don't remember what game it was but the there was a roll of hair pulled from ones head and left on the turf. I'm sure you can google it and find the video.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by JasonTX

Make the rule change be that no hair can stick out of the helmet. Don't punish the tackler, make the kid cut his hair.

I don't remember what game it was but the there was a roll of hair pulled from ones head and left on the turf. I'm sure you can google it and find the video.

Rutgers

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by JasonTX

Make the rule change be that no hair can stick out of the helmet. Don't punish the tackler, make the kid cut his hair.

Why? It's very easy for a tackler to avoid pulling someone's hair or beard -- at least as easy as avoiding pulling the face mask. Meanwhile, consider that the player is on the football field only a tiny percentage of his time; so he's supposed to change the way he looks during the entire football season just to conform with your idea of how he should look on the field? Besides, what difference does it make to the game how the players look? They have uniforms to tell the teams apart, that's all you need.