Understanding Hard-Hitting Rules

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by over the mountain

im pretty sure you can hit a running back or any established runner helmet to helmet.

the helmet to helmet rules apply to defenseless players only i think (players with ball who havent established themselves as runners)

as to qbs you cant hit them at the knees or below if you have an unobstructed path (seems real vague to me), you cant touch their head/helmet with any part of your body and im still trying to figure out if you cant lead with your helmet anywhere on a qb.

ps - the rules for defenders is almost impossible for them to comply with all the time, the game is just too fast, players move/lower their head at the last second before impact changing where the defender's intended point of impact . . . its just become impossible really.

I agree...and if you have a rule that is impossible to comply with in any situation then your rule is crap. To me it simply is not fair to ask the defense to allow for something to happen that they are specifically on the field to prevent. Allowing a "defenseless" WR to catch a ball and establish himself is telling the defense "don't do your job" of defending the field. And it is also rife with other concerns that others have pointed out. Quite frankly I see the benefits of said rule being somewhat bogus too.

The rule should be no direct and primary contact to the helmet of any kind, for any player on the field at any time. ie: you directly hit a guy in the helmet with your shoulder (or any body part)...penalty. you hit a guy in the shoulder with your shoulder (or any body part) and your helmets bump...clean. And the caveat is that the offensive player can make no motion to put their helmet in harms way. ie: if they duct their head into direct h2h contact then it's clean.

Honestly if they don't want to get hurt being in "defenseless" position...they just shouldn't get into defenseless position. Why is that notion not ever discussed? Everyone talks constantly about how it is the defenders responsibility to be less reckless...but shouldn't the offensive player be at least as responsible?