Massive rule change for chop blocks

[erod]

You think you saw too many penalty flags before? Wait until this year.

All chop blocks have been banned. They occur virtually every play all over the field.

What will define a chop block? Is it literally any block anywhere on the field where the blocker goes below the waist on a defender? If so....yikes. How else is Cole Beasley supposed to block an outside linebacker on a sweep. How is a running back supposed to pick up a blitz on a guy 150 pounds heavier than him? Is it now illegal for lineman to go low on goal line plays or on 3rd-and-inches? What about extra points? Emmitt Smith would have had 1,000 penalties on him in pass protection.

I agreed with the calls when one player was held up while another went low. And I'm not altogether against banning the zone blocking schemes like Denver had for years where they shift than all go low at the defensive linemen's knees. But this takes it too far.

I fear the game is evaporating before our eyes.

 

[cowboys2233]

You think you saw too many penalty flags before? Wait until this year.

All chop blocks have been banned. They occur virtually every play all over the field.

What will define a chop block? Is it literally any block anywhere on the field where the blocker goes below the waist on a defender? If so....yikes. How else is Cole Beasley supposed to block an outside linebacker on a sweep. How is a running back supposed to pick up a blitz on a guy 150 pounds heavier than him? Is it now illegal for lineman to go low on goal line plays or on 3rd-and-inches? What about extra points? Emmitt Smith would have had 1,000 penalties on him in pass protection.

I agreed with the calls when one player was held up while another went low. And I'm not altogether against banning the zone blocking schemes like Denver had for years where they shift than all go low at the defensive linemen's knees. But this takes it too far.

I fear the game is evaporating before our eyes.

They were talking about this on the radio. I don't think it's as big of a rule change as you'd think at first glance. Cut blocks are still legal, chop blocks aren't. And most chop blocks were already illegal, I think this is just a slight tweak to the chop block rule. If they ruled all cut blocks illegal then yes, it would be a major, major change. An unfair one on many levels since teams like the Denver Broncos specifically get smaller, more mobile linemen to play the scheme.

 

[BlueNSilver88]

"It seems to me like a lot of people think that chop blocking and cut blocking are the same when they aren't. Chop blocking is when a defender is already engaged with an offensive player and another offensive player goes low on him. Cut blocking is when it's one-on-one and the offensive player goes low to try to trip up the defensive player. There is no interference from another offensive player in a cut block. Cut blocking is still completely legal. You see this a lot with RBs on linebackers.

This change will only effect running plays where chop blocking was legal under a set of circumstances. Literally nothing will be different on passing plays.

Here is the rule in question that was changed from legal to illegal:

In the National Football League (NFL), a chop block is legal on running plays when:

(i) the blockers were aligned next to each other on the line of scrimmage,

(ii) the blockers were lined up anywhere on the line and the flow of the play is towards the block or

(iii) the cut blocker was aligned in the backfield and the chop block took place outside the original tight end position.

The cut blocker is said to "chop" the defender and usually engages simultaneously with or immediately after the high block. A "reverse chop" occurs when the high block comes immediately after the low block and the same rules apply."

---https://www.reddit.com/user/GloriousFireball

 

[Alexander]

It is a relatively minor change. Most people get cut blocks and chop blocks confused.

 

[SHAMSzy]

Good rule.. Chop blocks are disgusting. Cut blocks are completely fine

 

[erod]

It is a relatively minor change. Most people get cut blocks and chop blocks confused.

Hope so, but they're not being terribly specific.

 

[big dog cowboy]

NFLPA wanted this for years.

 

[Swanny]

You think you saw too many penalty flags before? Wait until this year.

All chop blocks have been banned. They occur virtually every play all over the field.

What will define a chop block? Is it literally any block anywhere on the field where the blocker goes below the waist on a defender? If so....yikes. How else is Cole Beasley supposed to block an outside linebacker on a sweep. How is a running back supposed to pick up a blitz on a guy 150 pounds heavier than him? Is it now illegal for lineman to go low on goal line plays or on 3rd-and-inches? What about extra points? Emmitt Smith would have had 1,000 penalties on him in pass protection.

I agreed with the calls when one player was held up while another went low. And I'm not altogether against banning the zone blocking schemes like Denver had for years where they shift than all go low at the defensive linemen's knees. But this takes it too far.

I fear the game is evaporating before our eyes.

The game is evaporating because of stupid rules like this, fantasy football and PED's. Its sad to watch this sport deteriorate they way it is and has been. Its not about the sport anymore its all about the $$$$

 

[cowboys2233]

The game is evaporating because of stupid rules like this, fantasy football and PED's. Its sad to watch this sport deteriorate they way it is and has been. Its not about the sport anymore its all about the $$$$

Did you read any of the replies to the original post that explained that this rule change is very minor, or did you just decide to go off on a rant?

 

[nathanlt]

FIRE BLANDINO.

I'm sorry, what was the topic again??!!

 

[Silver N Blue]

First the RBBC now this!

 

[AdamJT13]

What will define a chop block? Is it literally any block anywhere on the field where the blocker goes below the waist on a defender?

No, it is not.

"ARTICLE 3. CHOP BLOCK. A Chop Block is a block by the offense in which one offensive player (designated as A1 for purposes of this rule) blocks a defensive player in the area of the thigh or lower while another offensive player (A2) engages that same defensive player above the waist."

 

[LandryFan]

FIRE BLANDINO.

I'm sorry, what was the topic again??!!

I'll definitely drink to that!!!

 

[LittleD]

The only real rule change we needed is for QB's. What is needed is that the lineman cannot hit them at all but must
grab the flag hanging from their wastebands. This touch the QB rule would keep Romo playing until he's
45. Oh, if a lineman did hit the QB he would be fined 4 games checks and immediately ejected.

 

[erod]

No, it is not.

"ARTICLE 3. CHOP BLOCK. A Chop Block is a block by the offense in which one offensive player (designated as A1 for purposes of this rule) blocks a defensive player in the area of the thigh or lower while another offensive player (A2) engages that same defensive player above the waist."

So why the rule change? They were already illegal.

 

[AdamJT13]

So why the rule change? They were already illegal.

Not in some situations. All this change did is eliminate the exceptions to the rule.


These were the exceptions --

(1) A Chop Block is a legal block in the following situations on Running Plays:
(a) Offensive players A1 and A2, who are initially aligned adjacent to each other on the line of scrimmage, may chop a defensive player.
(b) Offensive players A1 and A2, who are initially aligned more than one position away from each other on the line of scrimmage, may chop a defensive player when the flow of the play is toward the block.

 

[Doomsday101]

thing is chop blocks are already illegal. You can't have one guy engaging high and another cutting the defender below the waist. So how is this a rule change?

 

[Doomsday101]

Not in some situations. All this change did is eliminate the exceptions to the rule.


These were the exceptions --

(1) A Chop Block is a legal block in the following situations on Running Plays:
(a) Offensive players A1 and A2, who are initially aligned adjacent to each other on the line of scrimmage, may chop a defensive player.
(b) Offensive players A1 and A2, who are initially aligned more than one position away from each other on the line of scrimmage, may chop a defensive player when the flow of the play is toward the block.

Thanks

 

[AdamJT13]

These are the only exceptions now --

"Note: It is not a foul if the blocker’s opponent initiates the contact above the waist, or if the blocker is trying to slip or escape from his opponent and any engagement with him is incidental."


So, incidental contact is not a foul, and it's not a foul if the defender is the one who initiates the above-the-waist contact.

 

[Swanny]

Did you read any of the replies to the original post that explained that this rule change is very minor, or did you just decide to go off on a rant?

A rant? two sentences is a rant? Actually no I didnt read the replies. Actually when I pressed the reply button there were no responses yet. And even Now I have not read any of them.