How Was This Not A Penalty?

[drawandstrike]

1 of the best moves Marion Barber had early in his career - and Jason Witten used to do this too - was to engage approaching defenders up high by reaching out and repeatedly shoving them off up high with multiple stiff arms.

They were so effective at doing this, the NFL actually made a rule to FORCE THEM to quit doing it. It was dubbed 'The Marion Barber Rule'.

http://niketalk.com/t/76376/nfls-new-marion-barber-rule-takes-marion-barber-by-surprise

Once they were unable to fend off defenders up high with repeated shoves, defenders were able to easily move in and knock Barber & Witten's legs out from under them.

Of course, it's ALWAYS been illegal to GRAB the defender by the facemask and hold onto it. The NFL insisted Barber was grabbing facemasks and holding on, which he wasn't doing. He was just repeatedly shoving the defender back by pushing on the face mask.

Be that as it may, after being flagged alot for shoving defenders off with high stiff arms to the face mask, both Barber and Witten stopped doing it.

Which is why watching PLAYERS ON OTHER TEAMS constantly grabbing facemasks and holding on without drawing flags is so INFURIATING.

Like this example from last Sunday, for instance, from the custom game film I made of the 49ers game:



Not only did Carlos Hyde GRAB Barry Church's facemask and hold onto it, he used it to SHOVE Church forcefully to the turf. Instead of drawing a flag or a fine for this, the NFL actually made this play a HIGHLIGHT video from the game:

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2016100211/2016/REG4/cowboys@49ers#menu=gameinfo|contentId:0ap3000000714112&tab=videos

"Carlos Hyde Stiff Arms Barry Church"

Funny how nobody seems to remember this 'Marion Barber Rule' when it's not a Cowboy's player using the facemask, eh?

 

[drawandstrike]

The NFL Rulebook: "No player shall grasp and control, twist, turn, push or pull the facemask of an opponent in any direction. If a player grasps an opponent's facemask, he must immediately release it. If he does not immediately release it and controls his opponent, it is a foul."

 

[Carson]

Only if you're a cowboy. Applies to a majority of our penalties

 

[drawandstrike]

Only if you're a cowboy. Applies to a majority of our penalties

 

[robjay04]

OT a little but does anyone know how Barber doing? I been wondering how he has been, I know he was bad off a couple years ago.

 

[drawandstrike]

I just did a Google search. The last info I can find is that gun incident in a church 2 years ago.

 

[NextGenBoys]

That was my immediate thought as well. The prohibited offensive ball carriers from punching out a stiff arm like Barber used to do.

 

[conner01]

He didn't grasp the face mask thus no penalty

 

[Idgit]

He didn't grasp the face mask thus no penalty

But he also didn't release it immediately.

 

[MileyDancer]

DeMarco Murray did that all the time without getting called for it.

 

[Hoofbite]

That was my immediate thought as well. The prohibited offensive ball carriers from punching out a stiff arm like Barber used to do.

Barber used to repeatedly strike the guy. They didn't ban the stiff arm all together. They banned using the defenders head as a punching bag or grabbing the mask to basically hold the defender away.

I have no problem with this play and I'm banking on the expectation that Zeke will get a number of these in this season so I would hate to seem a play like this flagged.

 

[NextGenBoys]

Barber used to repeatedly strike the guy. They didn't ban the stiff arm all together. They banned using the defenders head as a punching bag or grabbing the mask to basically hold the defender away.

I have no problem with this play and I'm banking on the expectation that Zeke will get a number of these in this season so I would hate to seem a play like this flagged.

Didn't mean to imply they banned stiff arms, just the punching motion.

 

[big dog cowboy]

First hint: Helmet logo.

 

[drawandstrike]

He didn't grasp the face mask thus no penalty

What video are you watching? He not only grabbed the facemask, he held on for a good 2 seconds as he powered Church down to the field with it.

 

[drawandstrike]

Barber used to repeatedly strike the guy. They didn't ban the stiff arm all together. They banned using the defenders head as a punching bag or grabbing the mask to basically hold the defender away.

I have no problem with this play and I'm banking on the expectation that Zeke will get a number of these in this season so I would hate to seem a play like this flagged.

If Zeke grabs people by the facemask and shoves them down with it like Hyde did here, trust me, he'll get flagged. I have absolutely no doubt about that.

 

[bark]

I actually thought I would see a flag when I saw this play on the broadcast.
Nope

 

[JDSmith]

What video are you watching? He not only grabbed the facemask, he held on for a good 2 seconds as he powered Church down to the field with it.

I honestly didn't see him grab the facemask at all. It looked like he placed his hand on it, but I never saw any indication that he grabbed it.

 

[Kevinicus]

I honestly didn't see him grab the facemask at all. It looked like he placed his hand on it, but I never saw any indication that he grabbed it.

Exactly. This was a great stiff arm...except for the fact that he still got tackled.

Good no call by the refs.

 

[haleyrules]

lol If that is called a penalty...they need to put skirts on the ladies. That was just football.

 

[drawandstrike]

I honestly didn't see him grab the facemask at all. It looked like he placed his hand on it, but I never saw any indication that he grabbed it.

Watch Barry Church's head get shoved back. If that's not being 'controlled' by the facemask, the rule has no meaning.

Barber would shove defenders back while not grabbing the facemask. The NFL got so mad about his doing that, they vowed to begin cracking down it. He's been out of the league for 4 years now, so I guess they decided to just stop calling it?