Football New Helmet Rule Could Make NFL Unrecognizable - Page 3

**Donger** · 06-29-2018, 01:24 PM

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...aign=editorial

It's the 2018 season, December in Carolina, and the Panthers are in the postseason hunt. They are playing the division-leading Saints, and quarterback Cam Newton is scrambling.

He rushes for 20 yards, and at the end of the play, he—as thousands of runners have done before him throughout the history of football—lowers his head to protect himself as one of the Saints defensive backs makes the tackle.

A flag is thrown.

"Unnecessary roughness," announces the official.

Newton is being penalized for lowering his helmet. That wasn't a penalty back in the 2017 season, but here in the future, it's one that's called all the time, changing the complexion of the sport the way the forward pass once did.

Replays show that it was done in a non-aggressive way and that he lowered it only a few inches. But still the Panthers are flagged 15 yards, knocked out of field-goal range and forced to punt. The Saints go on to win not just the game, but the division, and that play is seen as one of the season's key moments.

This isn't science fiction. This is a real possibility of where the NFL's headed.

The new helmet rule, announced earlier this year, continues to cause headaches—even though there are currently no games being played and this is the NFL's dead season. Deadspin and Pro Football Talk both did pieces examining the new rule this week, but it actually isn't getting enough attention from football fans this offseason. Except for nerds like me.

That's because the rule will force the NFL to face a level of uncertainty it hasn't seen in decades.

No one can say what NFL football will look like next season. Not the players. Not the coaches. Not the league. Not the media. No one.

In speaking to players and assistant coaches this week, there's extreme confusion about the rule. Several coaches said they still don't know exactly how it will be officiated. Two players said the same.

But it's not just the fact that they don't understand it that makes it a big deal. It's how much of an impact the rule could have. It's not an exaggeration to say this is potentially one of the biggest rule changes in the history of the sport. The same league that has spent years trying to figure out what a catch is will now police helmet location in a sport that moves ridiculously fast.

The NFL will say there is no confusion and this is all a media creation. It's not. There are teams genuinely in the dark about how this rule will be officiated.

The problem is the league itself doesn't seem certain about the rule.

As Deadspin pointed out, the NFL's release indicated the rule won't actually appear on its own in the rulebook, but would instead be "classified as unnecessary roughness." The language for that violation was changed from "using any part of a player's helmet or facemask to butt, spear, or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily" to "using any part of a player's helmet to butt, spear, or ram an opponent." In other words, the NFL removed the words "violently or unnecessarily."

But after PFT inquired about the weirdness of that and asked why such a huge change was buried in the rulebook, the NFL made things even worse, saying the rule was now Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8, and will read: "Use of the Helmet. It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent."

I'm not sure people understand the magnitude of the problem this creates.

Under this language, there could be a penalty on literally every single play.

That's not hyperbole.

Coaches and players also point out that a problem here is that the rule is almost impossible to teach.

Let's go to several other scenarios. A receiver catches the ball across the middle, sees a defender coming to tackle him and slightly lowers his head in anticipation of the hit. That could potentially be a penalty.

A defender, in the process of making a tackle, lowers his head, not aggressively or too low but in a normal football move. That could be a penalty, too. On and on it goes.

The end result is a league that is much less physical. The NFL could look more like the CFL, with far more scoring and less defense.

Players would fear getting a 15-yard penalty, so tackling would suffer, too.

And really, maybe that's what the NFL is trying to accomplish. The league continues to try to make the game less physical and thus, in a superficial way, look like it's attempting to solve the problem of head trauma in the sport.

It knows horrible news, like the deeply terrifying story of Tyler Hilinski, likely won't go away. He was 21 years old when he died, and his mind was so clogged with CTE that researchers said he had the brain "of a much older, elderly man." A study from July 2017 showed that 110 of 111 deceased NFL players had CTE.

I'm sure football lovers feel the same way I do. I deeply love and care about football, but I also have to acknowledge the high probability that the sport is wrecking the minds of people who play it.

The NFL knows many people feel this way, and they use these rule changes to appease that guilt of loving football while watching the effects of it on real human beings.

So you toss in some new legislation that appears to make the sport safer but only muddles the actual play on the field.

Turns the game we love into a game we can't recognize.

Naptown Chief · 06-29-2018, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simply Red

Don't jump my ass - I'm joking (mostly) - how are you Donger?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simply Red

How have you been?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simply Red

How are you doing Donger? Everything good?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simply Red

Donger,

I hope you are well - it's been a long time. Let me know how you're doing.

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simply Red

Hello Donger - how have you been?!

I'm guessing he's dying. Bless his heart.

rico · 06-29-2018, 06:41 PM

tl;dr

listopencil · 06-30-2018, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

You don't think this is important?

But after PFT inquired about the weirdness of that and asked why such a huge change was buried in the rulebook, the NFL made things even worse, saying the rule was now Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8, and will read: "Use of the Helmet. It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.

In the scenario above the offensive player isn't initiating contact. If a defensive player is initiating contact, he just has to not do it with his helmet and he's not breaking that rule.

listopencil · 06-30-2018, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

That's 15 yard penalty on Earl Cambell

Yes. It would be. A runner would not be allowed to use his helmet as a weapon like that.

splatbass · 06-30-2018, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

Take away the helmet.
They will not be lowering their heads much then.

I was in Australia earlier this month and watched a lot of rugby. They don't wear helmets, and they hit hard but not with their heads. I think you may have something here. They didn't have so many head injuries back in the leather helmet days.

I'm only partly kidding. Part of the problem is they feel invincible with those helmets on.

Nickhead · 06-30-2018, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by splatbass

I was in Australia earlier this month and watched a lot of rugby. They don't wear helmets, and they hit hard but not with their heads. I think you may have something here. They didn't have so many head injuries back in the leather helmet days.

I'm only partly kidding. Part of the problem is they feel invincible with those helmets on.

won't work. never will when the forward pass is in the game. only works for NRL because there it's all laterals. that's what led to the helmet in american football. was necessary when the forward pass was implemented

KChiefs1 · 06-30-2018, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

That's 15 yard penalty on Earl Cambell

In addition to being tossed out of the game.

Simply Red · 07-01-2018, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwwataz

I'm guessing he's dying. Bless his heart.

a very big mystery - Donger is one I haven't figured out.

Basileus777 · 07-01-2018, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

Take away the helmet.
They will not be lowering their heads much then.

You'll get an epidemic of skull injuries instead.

ChiliConCarnage · 07-01-2018, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simply Red

a very big mystery - Donger is one I haven't figured out.

It seems like you don't have the best line of communication with Donger. I'd suggest bumping the oil/gas prices thread. He'll respond in a jiffy I bet

ChiliConCarnage · 07-01-2018, 05:57 AM

I imagine this rule will only be called when the person purposefully goes out of their way to use the helmet. We'll have to wait and see though

Chief Pagan · 07-01-2018, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bugeater

HOLY CRAP DONGER STARTED A FOOTBALL THREAD! YES! A FOOTBALL THREAD!

Mods, can you check to see who hacked Donger's account.

Chief Pagan · 07-01-2018, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Turns the game we love into a game we can't recognize.

I'm not knee-jerk opposed to rules that increase player safety. It's still going to be a physical game and players will have plenty of chances to prove their toughness.

The original game of football became unrecognizable when they added the forward pass. Was that a mistake?

But creating rules that are impossible for refs to call fairly and uniformly, yea, that is a potential issue.

kccrow · 07-01-2018, 11:30 PM

In all seriousness (although I was proud of the Spaceballs helmet), they tried to extend the spearing rule by changing it to be a "crown of the helmet" rule back in like 2013. Now they are extending it further to cover all players and force them to keep their damn heads up. Keeping your damn head up should have been taught in Pop Warner. If a pro player can't follow something they were taught as youth, then they deserve what they get. There isn't a need to lower the helmet in the game. It's the number one reason head and neck injuries occur in the sport. It shouldn't be very hard to know what it is for the refs or the fans. I don't understand the confusion. You don't have to lower the helmet to make a big hit. I've seen bigger hits from players that keep their head up because their bodies are actually in better position to uncoil through the hips and legs.

06-29-2018, 01:24 PM
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10269900 VARSITY	New Helmet Rule Could Make NFL Unrecognizable https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...aign=editorial It's the 2018 season, December in Carolina, and the Panthers are in the postseason hunt. They are playing the division-leading Saints, and quarterback Cam Newton is scrambling. He rushes for 20 yards, and at the end of the play, he—as thousands of runners have done before him throughout the history of football—lowers his head to protect himself as one of the Saints defensive backs makes the tackle. A flag is thrown. "Unnecessary roughness," announces the official. Newton is being penalized for lowering his helmet. That wasn't a penalty back in the 2017 season, but here in the future, it's one that's called all the time, changing the complexion of the sport the way the forward pass once did. Replays show that it was done in a non-aggressive way and that he lowered it only a few inches. But still the Panthers are flagged 15 yards, knocked out of field-goal range and forced to punt. The Saints go on to win not just the game, but the division, and that play is seen as one of the season's key moments. This isn't science fiction. This is a real possibility of where the NFL's headed. The new helmet rule, announced earlier this year, continues to cause headaches—even though there are currently no games being played and this is the NFL's dead season. Deadspin and Pro Football Talk both did pieces examining the new rule this week, but it actually isn't getting enough attention from football fans this offseason. Except for nerds like me. That's because the rule will force the NFL to face a level of uncertainty it hasn't seen in decades. No one can say what NFL football will look like next season. Not the players. Not the coaches. Not the league. Not the media. No one. In speaking to players and assistant coaches this week, there's extreme confusion about the rule. Several coaches said they still don't know exactly how it will be officiated. Two players said the same. But it's not just the fact that they don't understand it that makes it a big deal. It's how much of an impact the rule could have. It's not an exaggeration to say this is potentially one of the biggest rule changes in the history of the sport. The same league that has spent years trying to figure out what a catch is will now police helmet location in a sport that moves ridiculously fast. The NFL will say there is no confusion and this is all a media creation. It's not. There are teams genuinely in the dark about how this rule will be officiated. The problem is the league itself doesn't seem certain about the rule. As Deadspin pointed out, the NFL's release indicated the rule won't actually appear on its own in the rulebook, but would instead be "classified as unnecessary roughness." The language for that violation was changed from "using any part of a player's helmet or facemask to butt, spear, or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily" to "using any part of a player's helmet to butt, spear, or ram an opponent." In other words, the NFL removed the words "violently or unnecessarily." But after PFT inquired about the weirdness of that and asked why such a huge change was buried in the rulebook, the NFL made things even worse, saying the rule was now Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8, and will read: "Use of the Helmet. It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent." I'm not sure people understand the magnitude of the problem this creates. Under this language, there could be a penalty on literally every single play. That's not hyperbole. Coaches and players also point out that a problem here is that the rule is almost impossible to teach. Let's go to several other scenarios. A receiver catches the ball across the middle, sees a defender coming to tackle him and slightly lowers his head in anticipation of the hit. That could potentially be a penalty. A defender, in the process of making a tackle, lowers his head, not aggressively or too low but in a normal football move. That could be a penalty, too. On and on it goes. The end result is a league that is much less physical. The NFL could look more like the CFL, with far more scoring and less defense. Players would fear getting a 15-yard penalty, so tackling would suffer, too. And really, maybe that's what the NFL is trying to accomplish. The league continues to try to make the game less physical and thus, in a superficial way, look like it's attempting to solve the problem of head trauma in the sport. It knows horrible news, like the deeply terrifying story of Tyler Hilinski, likely won't go away. He was 21 years old when he died, and his mind was so clogged with CTE that researchers said he had the brain "of a much older, elderly man." A study from July 2017 showed that 110 of 111 deceased NFL players had CTE. I'm sure football lovers feel the same way I do. I deeply love and care about football, but I also have to acknowledge the high probability that the sport is wrecking the minds of people who play it. The NFL knows many people feel this way, and they use these rule changes to appease that guilt of loving football while watching the effects of it on real human beings. So you toss in some new legislation that appears to make the sport safer but only muddles the actual play on the field. Turns the game we love into a game we can't recognize.
Posts: 180,895

07-01-2018, 05:57 AM	#41
ChiliConCarnage TACO SALAD Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: yes Casino cash: $1718468	I imagine this rule will only be called when the person purposefully goes out of their way to use the helmet. We'll have to wait and see though
Posts: 5,894

07-01-2018, 11:30 PM	#44
kccrow MVP Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan Casino cash: $3157078	In all seriousness (although I was proud of the Spaceballs helmet), they tried to extend the spearing rule by changing it to be a "crown of the helmet" rule back in like 2013. Now they are extending it further to cover all players and force them to keep their damn heads up. Keeping your damn head up should have been taught in Pop Warner. If a pro player can't follow something they were taught as youth, then they deserve what they get. There isn't a need to lower the helmet in the game. It's the number one reason head and neck injuries occur in the sport. It shouldn't be very hard to know what it is for the refs or the fans. I don't understand the confusion. You don't have to lower the helmet to make a big hit. I've seen bigger hits from players that keep their head up because their bodies are actually in better position to uncoil through the hips and legs.
Posts: 12,669