PFT: NFL Passes Four Safety Proposals

[WoodysGirl]

Posted by Aaron Wilson on March 24, 2009, 2:31 p.m.

The NFL passed four safety proposals today at the annual NFL owners meetings, enacting several rule changes that includes banning the use of wedge-blocking on kickoffs, according to John Clayton of ESPN.com.

The league also passed rules to protect players from blindside helmet-to-helmet contact on blocks and for defenseless receivers from being forearmed or hit with shoulder blocks in the head or neck. The league also took additional measures to make onside kicks safer.

The wedge is a longtime football tradition, but the NFL Competition Committee changed the rule because of concern about injuries.

The rule governing blindside blocks could be dubbed the Hines Ward rule.

It’s in response to Ward’s jaw-breaking block on Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers last season. Now, a 15-yard penalty will be assessed if a player doles out a blindside block to the helmet of a defensive player by brandishing a forearm, shoulder or helmet to the head or neck.

Plus, defensive players will be flagged for unnecessary roughness if they hit a defenseless receiver in the head or neck with a forearm or shoulder.

UPDATE: Here is the formal language for the rule change involving the wedge block being outlawed: “After the ball is kicked, no more than two receiving team players may intentionally form a wedge in an attempt to block for the runner. An illegal wedge is defined as three or more players lined up shoulder-to-shoulder within two yards of each other.”

 

[Canadian BoyzFan]

Soon our game will look like the Pro Bowl.

 

[trickblue]

Banning the Wedge? seriously?

The NFL is now likely doing a study on the best flags for the players to wear when they ban tackling next season...

 

[CF74]

No
Fun
League

 

[WoodysGirl]

League mulls over two-hand touch rule

March 24, 2009 2:12 PM


Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

DANA POINT, Calif. -- Every now and then, a man dressed in a dark suit and pink tie will duck into the media tent on the South Lawn of the St. Regis Resort and hand out some press releases. This makes it possible for reporters to never leave their seats, which is something we've perfected over the years -- unless there's free food within a mile radius.

Anyway, I'm now staring at a list of rule proposals that were adopted by the owners Tuesday. On an onside kick, at least three players must be lined up outside each inbounds line, one of whom must be outside the yard-line number. Folks, this is the type of change we can believe in. This basically eliminates the "bunch" onside kick formation, which the competition committee felt was causing too many injuries.

And in another shocking twist, the league has done away with the three-man wedge that once allowed three grown men to hold hands and race up the field together on kick returns. Here's how Rule 6, Section 1, Article 3(d) now reads:

"After the ball is kicked, no more than two receiving team players may intentionally form a wedge in an attempt to block for the runner. An illegal wedge is defined as three or more players lined up shoulder-to-shoulder within two yards of each other."

Reached for a response soon after the rule change, an NFC special teams coach said, "Whew! It's about time."

The league also adopted an amended rule that prohibits a blindside block "if the initial force of the contact by a blocker's helmet, forearm or shoulder is to the head or neck area of an opponent when: a. the blocker is moving toward his own endline and b. he approaches the opponent from behind or from the side."

The fourth rule change is another player safety issue. Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8(k) now says that it's a penalty "if the initial force of the contact by a defender's helmet, forearm or shoulder is to the head or neck area of a defenseless receiver who is catching or attempting to catch a pass."

This eliminates initial contact to the head of a defenseless receiver. When in doubt, the league would like to encourage defensive backs to make a high-pitched whistling sound in order to prepare receivers for their arrival. The league is hoping to increase both player safety and yards after catch.

I'll be back with some Dick Jauron nuggets once I take a walk around the resort. Quick question: Do we receive St. Regis points for spending several hours hanging out in the lobby?


09 owners' meeting, Dick Jauron

Read comments or leave a comment

 

[JBS]

It is ridiculous that the majority of this board has issues with these new rules. In what ways will these new rules hurt the game? The wedge rule, maybe, outside of that none of the other rules will change anything outside of limiting injuries. Is it necessary for there to be ooohs and aahhs when a player gets blocked blindsided like Keith Rivers took last year? or the hit warren sapp put on that one guy in Green Bay a few years back? Definitely not. I guess I am in the majority on this issue, but consider me happy that the NFL is taking the proper measures to eliminate useless acts, that end up in many cases injuring players.

 

[CF74]

When in doubt, the league would like to encourage defensive backs to make a high-pitched whistling sound in order to prepare receivers for their arrival.

Well there goes the safety of a mouthpiece:laugh2:

 

[joseephuss]

I got no problems with the league trying to minimize injuries, but some of their decisions seem more knee jerk rather than logical. The horse collar rule was knee jerk. The wedge rule is knee jerk. There have probably been more injuries due to Broncos lineman cut blocking and yet that still continues. There are just some inconsistencies in the rules they come up with to try and minimize injuries.

Blindside blocks are not bad in my opinion. Blindside blocks where the guy puts a forearm to the head is bad and I agree needs to stop.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

Wow...they do this every year, but these really bug me.

They are now going too far. This has to be an April fools joke.

 

[Rampage]

terrible. so now basically you can only hit a wr when they're looking.

 

[Doomsday101]

I would hate to be a defensive player in the NFL. These guys get fined constantly for playing the game as it was intended

 

[TellerMorrow34]

The wedge rule I don't get, at all, but I have no issues with the other rules. They've been protecting QBs from head shots for a while now so it's about time they did something to protect a few of the other players from those headshots as well.

 

[Big Country]

Geez I can't wait for the rash of special teams penalties this coming season...

 

[trickblue]

I got no problems with the league trying to minimize injuries, but some of their decisions seem more knee jerk rather than logical. The horse collar rule was knee jerk. The wedge rule is knee jerk. There have probably been more injuries due to Broncos lineman cut blocking and yet that still continues. There are just some inconsistencies in the rules they come up with to try and minimize injuries.

Blindside blocks are not bad in my opinion. Blindside blocks where the guy puts a forearm to the head is bad and I agree needs to stop.

Well with Shanny gone in Denver that will likely change...

On another note... if Shanny were to come here next year, I'm sure cut blocking would be outlawed in the next offseason...

 

[speedkilz88]

It is ridiculous that the majority of this board has issues with these new rules. In what ways will these new rules hurt the game? The wedge rule, maybe, outside of that none of the other rules will change anything outside of limiting injuries. Is it necessary for there to be ooohs and aahhs when a player gets blocked blindsided like Keith Rivers took last year? or the hit warren sapp put on that one guy in Green Bay a few years back? Definitely not. I guess I am in the majority on this issue, but consider me happy that the NFL is taking the proper measures to eliminate useless acts, that end up in many cases injuring players.

Do you like seeing league wide poor tackling? Rules where defenders have to worry whether any part of their body might hit the ball carrier in the helmet is going to mean the tackling is going to get even worse. This is a contact sport for crying out loud. Then add that the refs suck at being even handed with the rules. Here's more that the refs will call on certain players or teams and give other a pass. I can definitely see the Steelers winning another Super Bowl on a kick return for a td and the replay will show they were using an illegal wedge. Its not like it hasn't happened before.

 

[Arch Stanton]

NFL approves 'Hines Ward rule'
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
DANA POINT, Calif. -- The NFL today approved four new rules that focus on player safety, including the so-called Hines Ward Rule that affects blocking tactics.

The blocking rule makes illegal a blindside block if it comes from the blocker's helmet, forearm or shoulder and lands to the head or neck area of the defender. One of the highlights the NFL competition committee used to portray such a block was the one Ward threw last season that broke the jaw of Cincinnati rookie linebacker Keith Rivers.

These rules also were approved today:

• Teams kicking off must have four players on each side of the kicker with three lined up outside each inbounds line. The rule was passed to prevent "bunching" on onsides kicks.

• No more than two players on the kickoff receiving drill can form a wedge to block for the runner.

• Any hits to a "defenseless" receiver cannot be made by a defender's helmet, forearm or shoulder to the head.


First published on March 24, 2009 at 3:02 pm

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09083/957938-66.stm

 

[Rampage]

NFL approves 'Hines Ward rule'
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
DANA POINT, Calif. -- The NFL today approved four new rules that focus on player safety, including the so-called Hines Ward Rule that affects blocking tactics.

The blocking rule makes illegal a blindside block if it comes from the blocker's helmet, forearm or shoulder and lands to the head or neck area of the defender. One of the highlights the NFL competition committee used to portray such a block was the one Ward threw last season that broke the jaw of Cincinnati rookie linebacker Keith Rivers.

These rules also were approved today:

• Teams kicking off must have four players on each side of the kicker with three lined up outside each inbounds line. The rule was passed to prevent "bunching" on onsides kicks.

• No more than two players on the kickoff receiving drill can form a wedge to block for the runner.

• Any hits to a "defenseless" receiver cannot be made by a defender's helmet, forearm or shoulder to the head.


First published on March 24, 2009 at 3:02 pm

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09083/957938-66.stm

that's the ryan clark rule after exibit A and B.


exibit A
[youtube]rnWajHV7Zwk[/youtube]


exibit B
[youtube]9D430XbHueY[/youtube]

 

[Clove]

I got no problems with the league trying to minimize injuries, but some of their decisions seem more knee jerk rather than logical. The horse collar rule was knee jerk. The wedge rule is knee jerk. There have probably been more injuries due to Broncos lineman cut blocking and yet that still continues. There are just some inconsistencies in the rules they come up with to try and minimize injuries.

Blindside blocks are not bad in my opinion. Blindside blocks where the guy puts a forearm to the head is bad and I agree needs to stop.

The horse-collar is a dirty tackle.

 

[jterrell]

It is ridiculous that the majority of this board has issues with these new rules. In what ways will these new rules hurt the game? The wedge rule, maybe, outside of that none of the other rules will change anything outside of limiting injuries. Is it necessary for there to be ooohs and aahhs when a player gets blocked blindsided like Keith Rivers took last year? or the hit warren sapp put on that one guy in Green Bay a few years back? Definitely not. I guess I am in the majority on this issue, but consider me happy that the NFL is taking the proper measures to eliminate useless acts, that end up in many cases injuring players.

We might as well forget the pads and helmets then.

I played jr. high, high school and college all with 5 man wedges.

I broke my face mask once busting up a wedge but was never hurt.
I played a game where I had a broken jaw wired shut and it did hurt when I made a tackle that game but wedges have been around for 60 years and never caused any major brouhaha.

The league is simply creating rules that are stupid and requires players now to deny their instincts or eat 15 year penalties.

Football is about hitting people. If you don't want to hit people you should be a QB or you shouldn't be playing.

 

[trickblue]

Football is about hitting people. If you don't want to hit people you should be a QB...

That's exactly why Hostile was a kicker...