Blocking a receiver Question

[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.