Hit on Bengals punter

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by hbk314

What are the criteria for those?

Two types of targeting in NCAA:
1) Initiating contact with the crown of the helmet. (9-1-3). NOTE: this does NOT require that the targeted player be defenseless.

2) Initiating contact to the head and neck area of a defenseless player by using the helmet, hand, fist, forearm, elbow, or shoulder (9-1-4).

NCAA Defines defenseless players in rule 2-27-14:
Defenseless Player

ARTICLE 14. A defenseless player is one who because his physical position and focus of concentration is especially vulnerable to injury. Examples of defenseless players are:

a. A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass

b. A receiver attempting to catch a pass, or one who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a ball carrier.

c. A kicker in the act of or just after kicking a ball, or during the kick or the return.

d. A kick returner attempting to catch or recover a kick.

e. A player on the ground.

f. A player obviously out of the play.

g. A player who receives a blind-side block.

h. A ball carrier already in the grasp of an opponent and whose forward progress has been stopped.

i. A quarterback any time after a change of possession.