Block in BIG 10 Championship

[JugglingReferee]

[JugglingReferee]

[JugglingReferee]

There was definitely helmet to helmet contact, although I'm not sure if that was the first contact. (My guess is that it wasn't.)

[Texas Aggie]

This would be an easy call if the player were a defenseless player like a pass receiver, but he's not. By the current reading of the rule, this should not be called a foul. I suspect the NCAA will change the rule and make ALL targeting at the shoulders and above illegal (except maybe against the ball carrier) next year.

The current rule is that they can't target with the crown of the helmet and can't target above the shoulders against a defenseless player. Neither happened on this play and it was a clean block.

Players going from inside out should know they're going to get lit up.

[Robert Goodman]

Penalized for too good a peel-back block! Maybe he wouldn't've drawn it if not for the arm flourish on the follow-thru.

[JRutledge]

I am not in love with this call at all. It does not look like a launch. It does not look like a direct head hit. It does not look like the player is defenseless. If any of those things took place than fine, but this is why I think the "call it no matter how close" is a bad thing. I get they are trying to take head hits out of the game, but sometimes close hits are legal.

Peace

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I am not in love with this call at all. It does not look like a launch. It does not look like a direct head hit. It does not look like the player is defenseless. If any of those things took place than fine, but this is why I think the "call it no matter how close" is a bad thing. I get they are trying to take head hits out of the game, but sometimes close hits are legal.

Peace

Looking at the statistics for brain disease among football players, getting head hits out of the game is a good thing.