Rule Changes--2008

[zebrablue2]

1. Horse-collar tackle prohibted.

2. Five-yard facemask foul eliminated.

3. Sideline warning changed to sideline interference foul.

4. Chop block redefined.

All players cannot grab the inside back collar of the shoulder pads or jersey and pull the runner down. Roy Williams made this famous.

No player shall twist, turn or pull the face mask or any helmet opening. Not a foul if there is no twist, turn or pull.

Sideline is now 5 yards on the 1st and 2ed infractions and 15 on the 3rd and subsequent infraction.

Chop block is a high-low or low-high combination block by any 2 players-(not the runner) anywhere on the field. with or without a delay between contacts. The low component is at the opponent's thigh or below.

[Looking4number8]

Is this High School Football rule changes?

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by lookingfornumbe
Is this High School Football rule changes? Yes, and it's going to be painful watching refs get blasted for screwing up the facemask and the high low. Given a couple of years on the books and those too will be good rules. The facemask will be the biggie. It's an automatic 15 yarder and we will still have refs throwing the flag on the old incidental facemask for a couple more years. Hopefully, if they boo-boo the flag will be picked up.

[Looking4number8]

I have never liked the horse collar rule. I understand it and believe it is probally necessary to prevent injuries but sometimes a player just needs to make a tackle anyway he can.

[VAMike]

Originally posted by lookingfornumbe
Is this High School Football rule changes?

These are some of the NCAA rule changes. They apply in Texas HS (and Massachusetts) since HS football is played under NCAA rules there.

There are others that are going to cause some consternation, i.e. if the punt returner wants his players to stay away from the ball he needs to be careful not to signal "stay away" with his hands as this will be interpreted as a fair catch signal (invalid one though). Any signal that is not a valid fair catch signal will be an invalid signal meaning ball is dead as soon as it is possessed.

[NastySlot]

Originally posted by lookingfornumbe
I have never liked the horse collar rule. I understand it and believe it is probally necessary to prevent injuries but sometimes a player just needs to make a tackle anyway he can.


ever been collared?..............not good feeling....i think id rather get cracked.

[Old Tiger]

i'd rather be horse collared thand cracked.



i don't like that facemask rule

[Additup]

Originally posted by zebrablue2

4. Chop block redefined.

Chop block is a high-low or low-high combination block by any 2 players-(not the runner) anywhere on the field. with or without a delay between contacts. The low component is at the opponent's thigh or below.

Why don't we make the high-low and low-high combination TACKLE on a ball carrier a penalty? Ball carriers get high-lowed/low-highed from every angle and on almost every play.

I also wish if they want to speed up the game, they'd keep the clock running on incomplete passes. Instead the NCAA's trying the 45 second clocks and running the game clock even on out of bounds plays except for last 2 minutes.

[popcorn screen]

Rules will be good as they emphasize protecting our young athletes. Depending on who you play, you can call holding on every play and you can bet some ref will call a chop block on someone. The most chop calls we see are when a player is on the first level and he is to release to the LB but a back comes and helps before he releases. He hits that out/in thigh pad and ref sees the TE stay before he moves up the level. It is quick hitting, so I can see why it is called.

[VAMike]

Same reason why it is not illegal to clip a runner, hold a runner, tackle a runner by the head, push a runner in the back from behind, trip a runner, etc....when you have the ball you are pretty much fair game.

[Additup]

Originally posted by VAMike
Same reason why it is not illegal to clip a runner, hold a runner, tackle a runner by the head, push a runner in the back from behind, trip a runner, etc....when you have the ball you are pretty much fair game.

I know, but if it's considered unsafe for a defender, it should be unsafe for everyone.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by Additup
I know, but if it's considered unsafe for a defender, it should be unsafe for everyone. i bet you think its unsafe to play tag at recess too:rolleyes:

[CenTexSports]

It is a little more complicated that just a horse collar. You can still tackle by grabbing the inside of the jersy and shoulder pads, you just can not pull them straight to the ground. The purpose is to eliminate knee injuries. If the runner goes forward after the collar is grabbed then there is no foul. But if he collaspes straight down or backward then a foul has been committed.

At least that is what was explained to us at the last meeting.

[zebrablue2]

Originally posted by zebrablue2
1. Horse-collar tackle prohibted.

2. Five-yard facemask foul eliminated.

3. Sideline warning changed to sideline interference foul.

4. Chop block redefined.

All players cannot grab the inside back collar of the shoulder pads or jersey and pull the runner down. Roy Williams made this famous.

No player shall twist, turn or pull the face mask or any helmet opening. Not a foul if there is no twist, turn or pull.

Sideline is now 5 yards on the 1st and 2ed infractions and 15 on the 3rd and subsequent infraction.

Chop block is a high-low or low-high combination block by any 2 players-(not the runner) anywhere on the field. with or without a delay between contacts. The low component is at the opponent's thigh or below.


One I forgot to mention is: Helmet contact/ targeting an opponent rule redefined.
No player shall initiate contact and target an opponent with the crown (top) of his helmet. When in question it is a foul.

No player shall initiate contact and target a defenseless opponent above the shoulders. When in question, it is a foul.

[CenTexSports]

The helmet rule will be the hardest to call because it happens so often (maybe more than holding). I am all for calling it but they showed a couple of plays in our meeting and back when I played, those were some good clean hits.

[VAMike]

In most of the video plays, it was impossible to see the foul until the tape was slowed considerably. That means one of 2 things...guys are going to continue missing it or guys are going to strat calling anything even close, a foul.

[Additup]

Originally posted by Go Blue
i bet you think its unsafe to play tag at recess too:rolleyes:
Nope - opposite point.
If RBs can get "chop tackled", why are there special rules to protect defenders from getting blocked? (I know VAMike, just the way it is)

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by Additup
Nope - opposite point.
If RBs can get "chop tackled", why are there special rules to protect defenders from getting blocked? (I know VAMike, just the way it is) chop tackled? a tackle is a tackle

[Additup]

Originally posted by Go Blue
chop tackled? a tackle is a tackle
...and a block should be a block.
But a high/low block "anywhere on the field" will now be a penalized chop block.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by Additup
...and a block should be a block.
But a high/low block "anywhere on the field" will now be a penalized chop block. when a back is moving w/ the ball there is less chance for injury than when someone is being held up and someone cuts him.

[Additup]

My experience has been that a chop block usually occurs when a D-Lineman holds up an O-lineman trying to release around him and he gets blocked low from the inside lineman. (zone schemes) The D-Lineman causes the high contact, but the high/low chop block is gonna get called on the offense.

I don't think coaches are coaching chop blocks, but they do occur when players go full speed - especially when blocking downfield.

I think I've seen ball carriers get more knee injuries, but they happen when linemen drop on each other, too.
Maybe not, but it seems like it...