Blocking a receiver Question

[Juxone]

"It is never a penalty if the offensive player is acting like a blocker. Then the defender can hit them if they are an eligible receiver, unless of course the ball is in the air and in the direction of that receiver. "

I am actually talking about an offensive player who is or appears to be running a route and does NOT attempt to make contact with B-- Offensive player runs 10 yards and makes a post and is contacted by B before the pass .. ??

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Juxone

"It is never a penalty if the offensive player is acting like a blocker. Then the defender can hit them if they are an eligible receiver, unless of course the ball is in the air and in the direction of that receiver. "

I am actually talking about an offensive player who is or appears to be running a route and does NOT attempt to make contact with B-- Offensive player runs 10 yards and makes a post and is contacted by B before the pass .. ??

The generally accepted interpretation is that if a receiver is before or on the same yard line as the defender, it is legal to block him. This is codified at least in the NCAA rules but I don't believe it is in NFHS.

Originally Posted by Juxone

I think the part of "..If the receiver is clearly running a route, then you have to have a foul." answers my question, it is a foul regardless and if the ball is in the air it become DPI??

If the ball is in the air and in the direction of the receiver, it is a DPI. If it is thrown away from the receiver then it is nothing.

So if the ball is NOT in the air what is the call?? Holding?

If the ball is not in the air it's either holding or illegal use of the hands. Holding if he's grabbed and restricted, illegal use of the hands if he's simply blocked while no longer a potential blocker as defined above.

[Reffing Rev.]

The wording of the rule states: a "potential blocker", not an actual blocker, not trying to be a blocker, but a "potential blocker." (I wish I had a rule book here)

When does the receiver stop being a potential blocker? When he is head and shoulders even or past the defender.

As long as the contact is not a personal foul or pass interference, and there is not restriction/holding, then for the defender to engage a potential blocker is legal. Once the receiver avoids and evades the defender and gets even with him or beyond him, then it is illegal use of the hands for the defender to initiate contact.

Otherwise...you are going to have to move to the NFL's 5 yard "chuck" zone.

(BTW: I thoroughly admonished the BJ for not bringing his voice to the on-field conference, and the next week we had a healthy discussion in pre-game about communicating potentially useful information on the field.)

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Reffing Rev.

The wording of the rule states: a "potential blocker", not an actual blocker, not trying to be a blocker, but a "potential blocker." (I wish I had a rule book here)

When does the receiver stop being a potential blocker? When he is head and shoulders even or past the defender.

Routes are not always run while running by someone. You can run a route in front of a defender. So if the receiver is not running at the defender, I do not consider them to be much of a blocker anymore. So using that standard of being head and shoulders past a defender is not going to work when you are running a curl route or even a slant. You need a little more to that philosophy to know when to make that call. I see linebackers just hit a receiver that is in front of them and running away from them, but they hit them anyway and coaches think that is the case and get upset when you throw a flag. Usually these are a "talk to" and they are most often not that egregious, but still could be a foul under the right circumstance.

Peace

[Juxone]

Thanks all this helped.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Welpe

If the ball is in the air and in the direction of the receiver, it is a DPI. If it is thrown away from the receiver then it is nothing.

Actually in Federation rules, even if the ball is thrown "away from the receiver", if it looked like he was about to move towards it and the contact interfered with his ability to do so, it's PI.

[Welpe]

Actually, no.

7-5-11-c and 7.5.11 SITUATION A.