Understanding Hard-Hitting Rules

[mlmpetert]

Originally Posted by mlmdub130

so basically your saying that fining guys for hits where they clearly lower their head is ruining the integrity of the game. and the solution would be to make plays across the middle non existant? to me it sounds like your solution would cause way more harm to the integrity of the game than a fine every so often.

do i like the new rules and do i like seeing flags thrown and 15 yards walked off because of a clean hit that got mis-called? no. at the same time do i like hearing about ex nfl players that are dying in their 50's and losing functions in theirs brain years after the retire? no.

the way i see it the nfl is trying to clean up the game and make it safier without ruining what made us all fall in love with the game. i feel that these first few years of the new rules will suck and be hard to deal with, and some games might be lost because of them. but in the long run hopefully players will live a healthy life after they finish playing and the nfl will be able to control the mayhem that happend on the field on a more consistant basis. this isn't the first time hitting rules have changed in the nfl, eventually players adapt to the rule.

No im not saying that at all and thats what a lot of people seeing this thread are missing. The rule Robinson was fined under:

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…(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.

He was fined over hitting a defenseless receiver. Robinson lowered his head and avoided a helmet to helmet hit. The slight helmet to facemask contact was incidental and not part of the fine or penalty. Robinson’s shoulder hit Maclin’s ball carrying arm and shoulder. That was the only contact. Maclin was sprinting across the field towards Robinson. Robinson position himself and stepped into the contact.

Im against helmet to helmet hits or lowering your helmet to hit someone with it. But that didn’t happen. I don’t like seeing players messed up later on in life either, although like boxing or mma there is a inherent risk in the sport that every player is aware of.

I dont know what the answer is but i think eliminating the cause not the symptom should be how its fixed.