Punter Getting Clocked In Steeler-Bengal Game

[listopencil]

I saw an article this morning about that particular play. Here's a link:

http://deadspin.com/missed-penalty-g...e-a-1484135728

The author points out that this is clearly illegal as the Punter qualifies as "defenseless" and is supposed to be given extra protection. Not that he can't be blocked or hit, but he is not supposed to be hit in the head or neck area. It looks to me like that Steeler LB 1) lead with the crown of his helmet, 2) making first contact in the head/neck area, 3) on a defenseless player. Here's the rule:

Article 7
:
Players in a Defenseless Posture
.
It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player who is in
a defenseless posture.
(a) Players in a defenseless posture are:

(1) A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass;
(2) A receiver attempting to catch a pass; or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a runner. If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player;
(3) A runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped;
(4) A kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air;
(5) A player on the ground;
(6) A kicker/punter during the kick or during the return (Also see Article 6(g) for additional restrictions against a kicker/punter);
(7) A quarterback at any time after a change of possession (Also see Article 8(f) for additional restrictions against a quarterback after a change of possession);
(8) A player who receives a ―blindside‖ block when the offensive blocker is moving toward or parallel to his own end line and approaches the opponent from behind or from the side, and
(9) A player who is protected from an illegal crackback block (see Article 2);
(10) The offensive player who attempts a snap during a Field Goal attempt or a Try Kick



(b) Prohibited contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture is:
(1)Forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder,even if the initial contact of the defender’s helmet or facemask is lower than the passer’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him;or
(2) Lowering the head and making forcible contact with the top/crown or forehead/‖hairline‖ parts of the helmet against any part of the defenseless player’s body; or
(3) Illegally launching into a defenseless opponent. It is an illegal launch if a player(i)leaves both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into his opponent, and(ii)uses any part of his helmet (including thetop/crown and forehead/‖hairline‖ parts) to initiate forcible contact against any part of his opponent’s body.

Note:
This does not apply to contact against a runner, unless the runner is still considered to be a defenseless player,as defined in Article 7 above.
Note1:The provisions of (2) do not prohibit incidental contact by the mask or helmet in the course of a conventional tackle or block on an opponent.
Note 2: A player who initiates contact against a defenseless opponent is responsible for avoiding an illegal act. This includes
illegal contact that may occur during the process of attempting to dislodge the ball from an opponent. A standard of strict
liability applies for any contact against a defenseless opponent, even if the opponent is an airborne player who is returning
to the ground or whose body position is otherwise in motion, and irrespective of any acts by the defenseless opponent,
such as ducking his head or curling up his body in anticipation of contact.

https://www.nfl.info/download/2012Me...ule%20Book.pdf

[wazu]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

not a spear, sorry. A spear is lowering your helmet to a point that the ver top of your helmet makes first contact and hence, the player who is doing the spearing is putting himself in great danger because of crushing his neck and spinal cord back in on itself, that is, compressing the spinal cord between the vertebra. This is why you are taught from grade school up to see what you hit, that is, lower your shoulder but keep your head up.

TROLOLOLOLOL

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

not a spear, sorry. A spear is lowering your helmet to a point that the ver top of your helmet makes first contact and hence, the player who is doing the spearing is putting himself in great danger because of crushing his neck and spinal cord back in on itself, that is, compressing the spinal cord between the vertebra. This is why you are taught from grade school up to see what you hit, that is, lower your shoulder but keep your head up.

I don't see how that's not spearing. It looks like the top of his helmet is at the guy's jawline.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

not a spear, sorry. A spear is lowering your helmet to a point that the ver top of your helmet makes first contact and hence, the player who is doing the spearing is putting himself in great danger because of crushing his neck and spinal cord back in on itself, that is, compressing the spinal cord between the vertebra. This is why you are taught from grade school up to see what you hit, that is, lower your shoulder but keep your head up.

Does the constant cheating of Denver make their fans ignorant of the rules, or do their fans just not understand the rules because they aren't correctly administered in Denver games?

[KINGPIN CHIEFS FAN]

Originally Posted by trndobrd

Watch again, the blocker's shoulder and facemask hit the punter in the chest. The punter's head then hits the top of the blocking player's helmet. Not an illegal hit.

It's time to put the crack pipe down now. Anybody that thinks that block was a legal one has got to be on something. I hope you don't have any children, they will have a rough life with you giving advise.

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by listopencil

I don't see how that's not spearing. It looks like the top of his helmet is at the guy's jawline.

yah, but the defensive player's facemask is the primary point of contact and because he hit the cincy player right below the head, right in the center of the cincy players chest and neck area, the inertia slams the cincy players head forward and down onto the top of the steeler player's head and the also moves the steeler player's head upward toward the chin of the cincy player. It's a totally nasty and unecessary hit but I don't think it was spearing.

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Does the constant cheating of Denver make their fans ignorant of the rules, or do their fans just not understand the rules because they aren't correctly administered in Denver games?

does the constant losing in kc make you ignorant of how to play the game?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

yah, but the defensive player's facemask is the primary point of contact and because he hit the cincy player right below the head, right in the center of the cincy players chest and neck area, the inertia slams the cincy players head forward and down onto the top of the steeler player's head and the also moves the steeler player's head upward toward the chin of the cincy player. It's a totally nasty and unecessary hit but I don't think it was spearing.

No, that's not what happened at all.

Again, look at the still, the chin didn't slam down into the top of the helmet, the top of the helmet made first contact with the chin. You can't really be serious here - you're trying to argue that his first point of impact is the center of the punter's chest/neck? The hell? That's not even a close question, he clear made primary contact with the chin.

That's a spear.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

yah, but the defensive player's facemask is the primary point of contact and because he hit the cincy player right below the head, right in the center of the cincy players chest and neck area, the inertia slams the cincy players head forward and down onto the top of the steeler player's head and the also moves the steeler player's head upward toward the chin of the cincy player. It's a totally nasty and unecessary hit but I don't think it was spearing.

In the video you can see the Bengal's upper chest roll in a complimentary motion to the movement of his helmet. It gives a visual of the Bengal's body "wrapping around" the Steeler's helmet with what appears to be the Bengal's throat completing the arc. So it looks to me like the top of the Steeler's helmet made contact right at the jawline.

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

No, that's not what happened at all.

Again, look at the still, the chin didn't slam down into the top of the helmet, the top of the helmet made first contact with the chin. You can't really be serious here - you're trying to argue that his first point of impact is the center of the punter's chest/neck? The hell? That's not even a close question, he clear made primary contact with the chin.

That's a spear.

fair enough but the steeler's player lead with his facemask, and this you cannot argue. He saw what he it and put his facemask right into the chest of the player he was hitting.

[DJ's left nut]

Look at that picture again. The body hasn't absorbed any of that blow yet. The arm is still straight out (as it is in the split second before), the head/helmet are still aligned upright and the top of the Steeler helmet is in direct contact with the facemask/chin of the punter.

This is honestly one of the most baffling disagreements I've seen on this board - the picture is obvious. You're just factually inaccurate in your statement of the events.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

fair enough but the steeler's player lead with his facemask, and this you cannot argue. He saw what he it and put his facemask right into the chest of the player he was hitting.

HOLY SHIT, IT'S GETTING DUMBER!

What? He didn't see what he hit at all. Again, look at the damn photo, his eyes are down at the point of impact. He didn't lead with his facemask at all.

What pictures are you viewing here? How can you not see this? It's as clear as day.

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by listopencil

In the video you can see the Bengal's upper chest roll in a complimentary motion to the movement of his helmet. It gives a visual of the Bengal's body "wrapping around" the Steeler's helmet with what appears to be the Bengal's throat completing the arc. So it looks to me like the top of the Steeler's helmet made contact right at the jawline.

that was more incidental than intentional IMHO, but it was totally unecessary and a nasty, bad hit. And he should be fined up the wazoo.

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

HOLY SHIT, IT'S GETTING DUMBER!

What? He didn't see what he hit at all. Again, look at the damn photo, his eyes are down at the point of impact. He didn't lead with his facemask at all.

What pictures are you viewing here? How can you not see this? It's as clear as day.

he saw what he hit, I don't think you've ever played the game.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

fair enough but the steeler's player lead with his facemask, and this you cannot argue. He saw what he it and put his facemask right into the chest of the player he was hitting.

There is no way the Steeler sees the Bengal at the point of impact, other than maybe his legs. He drew himself up and launched himself into the Bengal head first.

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Look at that picture again. The body hasn't absorbed any of that blow yet. The arm is still straight out (as it is in the split second before), the head/helmet are still aligned upright and the top of the Steeler helmet is in direct contact with the facemask/chin of the punter.

This is honestly one of the most baffling disagreements I've seen on this board - the picture is obvious. You're just factually inaccurate in your statement of the events.

he can see what he is hitting and his facemask is right on the punter's chest.