[Th3rd]

Just came across about an hour ago and will go in to effect on Wednesday

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5701512

The NFL will announce by Wednesday that, effective this weekend, even first-time offenders face suspension for "devastating hits" and "head shots," according to Ray Anderson, the league's executive vice president of football operations.

this may actually be the stupidest thing I have heard. Basically the NFL is telling the defensive players to not hit. I feel like the players know the risk they put themselves in and to legislate hits is retarded. This will frankly make the NFL a joke because defenses will not know what is acceptable and even when they do hit someone could be suspended over nothing.

Let the players play the game.

[prototype]

agreed. NFL is making a joke of the league and they have always been the best run. It's a violent game - the players know that...

[ALUmnus]

Come on, guys. For a while now defensive players have increasingly been trying to injure the opposing player with each hit, and it's incredibly obvious. A lot of it is an attempt at intimidation, but hitting with the intent to injure is not "part of the game". You tackle the guy with the ball in order to stop the the advancement of the ball down the field, not to knock the player out of the game. Everyone whines and cries when offensive or defensive lineman go at each other's knees with the intent to injure them, why not the same for tackling?

If you watch games today, so many defensive backs don't even know how to tackle someone, they just throw their bodies at the guy. I don't call that "letting the players play the game", I call it bad football. It is possible to hit very hard on a proper tackle, just watch clips of Sean Taylor. But it's improper technique that is forcing the league into rules like this. I hope it changes things.

[Th3rd]

with this new rule we are going to see more career ending injurys though. more guys will start taking those powerful throw your body hits and lowering them to the waist and knees. id rather have a guy pop someone in the shoulder pad and accidentally make contact with his helmet then take out a guys knee. you can come back from a concussion and be the same player. you cant come back from a blown knee and be the same player (i.e. willis mcgahee)

[From the class of 09]

Helmet to Helmet hits seem to be what they are trying to get rid of (and with good reason) but they need to be sure and define what they are outlawing "devastating hits" doesn't mean anything.

At the same time I'm sick of how when Payton or Brady gets sacked it seems half the time it was a personal foul cuz one of the defenders ends up falling down into the QB's shins or his hand glances a QB's helmet.

They need to protect the players from long term head injuries (which seem to be caused by poor helmet to helmet hits). However there will always be risk to playing the game and they need to ease up with the whole QB protection thing IMO.

[prototype]

Are you saying the hit against Jackson wasn't legal?

I'm not saying that players should go out and try and injure others, but I really don't think that is happening. I think players are trying to break up a catch and that's it!! The league is getting soft. You can't touch a QB (they might as well not wear pads or go back to using kicker's helmets. You can't touch a WR. You can't even fall down for fear that someone's going to trip over you...

S-O-F-T

[LUconn]

With the way DBs launch themselves at unprotected players, it was pretty much inevitable that somebody was going to die one day. So trying to put a stop to it is obvious. However, now that you're shying them away from hitting like that, you've got to allow a defender to be more physical defending when the player doesn't have the ball. I like the change where they got rid of the "force out" catch, but you've gotta give them something else or the defense is just too handicapped. You can make contact for 5 yards. Increase it to 10 or something. There has to be some kind of deterrent for receivers or else the dink and dunk WC style will be unstoppable.

[TDDance234]

Sad.

After watching the Cowboys get flagged for making a non-obscene hand-gesture on Sunday, the NFL drops this ridiculous bombshell. Let's just move to flag football now.

[Th3rd]

the hit against Jackson was completely legal. It didn't look pretty and was a hard hit, but he tackled him correctly and hit him hard and Jackson was in the process of catching the ball and the ball was already to him. Yet that hit is the reason they are making this rule...

[prototype]

With the way DBs launch themselves at unprotected players, it was pretty much inevitable that somebody was going to die one day. So trying to put a stop to it is obvious. However, now that you're shying them away from hitting like that, you've got to allow a defender to be more physical defending when the player doesn't have the ball. I like the change where they got rid of the "force out" catch, but you've gotta give them something else or the defense is just too handicapped. You can make contact for 5 yards. Increase it to 10 or something. There has to be some kind of deterrent for receivers or else the dink and dunk WC style will be unstoppable.

They are protected - their wearing pads... It was a hard hit, but it's part of the game.

It will be flag football in 5 years... What's next - Nascar doing all races via a simulator? Professionals know the risk and get paid lots of money to take them...

[From the class of 09]

Are you saying the hit against Jackson wasn't legal?

I'm not saying that players should go out and try and injure others, but I really don't think that is happening. I think players are trying to break up a catch and that's it!! The league is getting soft. You can't touch a QB (they might as well not wear pads or go back to using kicker's helmets. You can't touch a WR. You can't even fall down for fear that someone's going to trip over you...

S-O-F-T

I didn't see the Jackson hit.

But what I'm saying is that if you lead with your helmet and you helmets are the first thing to touch (not you hit him with you shoulder and then your heads followed) I have no problem with penalizing these hits. Also note that this is only concerning exposed players (usually receivers who are looking back for the ball not at where they are running like a RB). My understanding is that recent research has shown very adverse long-term effects from having multiple concussions. So why in the world would they allow hits that encourage concussions (when a defender could easily just lower his shoulder instead)???

I understand that football is a violent game (and I enjoy the big hits as much as anyone) but I also understand that if these hits are having long term mental effects it’s insane not to change the rules. To be honest I'm of the exact opposite opinion of th3rd. I would rather a player blow out a knee (which can be fixed at least to the point that he can live an active life style) then see players suffer multiple head injuries that end up affecting them well after they are done playing football.

[From the class of 09]

Professionals know the risk and get paid lots of money to take them...

I'm sure the players union will be behind rule changes to better protect the long term safety of its players.

[TDDance234]

What is a defender supposed to do? Kolb throws a wobbly duck and Jackson turns his head to catch it. Is the safety supposed to pull up, let the WR catch the ball and then tackle him?

[From the class of 09]

What is a defender supposed to do? Kolb throws a wobbly duck and Jackson turns his head to catch it. Is the safety supposed to pull up, let the WR catch the ball and then tackle him?

I would assume you can tackle him just not with a helmet to helmet hit???

[prototype]

Professionals know the risk and get paid lots of money to take them...

I'm sure the players union will be behind rule changes to better protect the long term safety of its players.

Worked with Redskins back in the 90's and bet the players still feel the same way. They don't like the rules. I would bet they would vote things like this down. They just want to be taken care of after their career.

You ever see a good hit in Hockey? Much worse - and they don't make hitting illegal.

[Th3rd]

this is the Jackson hit for those who have not seen it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztz1GjUy ... re=related

and this is the hit that brought about the rule. Notice the DB (Dunta Robinson) does not lead with his helmet and waits till Jackson has the ball. He hits him to separate Jackson and the ball and does exactly what he is taught. By the NFL trying to make this rule is saying that the DB's must allow the player to catch the ball before they are allowed to hit them (instead of the ball being to the receiver before they are allowed to hit them like it is now)

[prototype]

What is a defender supposed to do? Kolb throws a wobbly duck and Jackson turns his head to catch it. Is the safety supposed to pull up, let the WR catch the ball and then tackle him?

I would assume you can tackle him just not with a helmet to helmet hit???

You would assume that, but the whole point is that they are making this rule because of the Jackson hit - and it wasn't with his helmet.

[From the class of 09]

Professionals know the risk and get paid lots of money to take them...

I'm sure the players union will be behind rule changes to better protect the long term safety of its players.

Worked with Redskins back in the 90's and bet the players still feel the same way. They don't like the rules. I would bet they would vote things like this down. They just want to be taken care of after their career.

You ever see a good hit in Hockey? Much worse - and they don't make hitting illegal.

Actually they are

[TDDance234]

Let's just go to 7 on 7 and extend the width of the field 20 yards. Or maybe make rushing the passer illegal period. Then the NFL will get what it wants with offenses that can score 50-60 per game.

[Schfourteenteen]

this is the Jackson hit for those who have not seen it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztz1GjUy ... re=related

and this is the hit that brought about the rule.

I've never heard this hit being mentioned as the "reason." This clip is the most widely used because of the team(Eagles) player (DSJ) and the fact that both players suffered concussions.

The worst of all the hits was the Meriweather-Heap incident. Everything on that play was awful.

I'm thinking they'll punish based on intent. If you lead with your head and turn your body into a missile at someones head, you're going to get suspended. And I agree with that. I hope they are bit more lenient on Duata Robinson or James Harrison. They led with their shoulder.

So I'll wait until I see what is defined as a "head shot"

[Th3rd]

Let's just go to 7 on 7 and extend the width of the field 20 yards. Or maybe make rushing the passer illegal period. Then the NFL will get what it wants with offenses that can score 50-60 per game.

You can bet that when the first suspension (whether its a no name or a guy like Ray Lewis) won't be dealt with very positively by the NFLPA or the team that the player is on...

[Schfourteenteen]

Let's just go to 7 on 7 and extend the width of the field 20 yards. Or maybe make rushing the passer illegal period. Then the NFL will get what it wants with offenses that can score 50-60 per game.

You can bet that when the first suspension (whether its a no name or a guy like Ray Lewis) won't be dealt with very positively by the NFLPA or the team that the player is on...

If the NFLPA truly represents the best interests of the players, they will support this as long as the NFL doesn't take it too far.

[Th3rd]

Let's just go to 7 on 7 and extend the width of the field 20 yards. Or maybe make rushing the passer illegal period. Then the NFL will get what it wants with offenses that can score 50-60 per game.

You can bet that when the first suspension (whether its a no name or a guy like Ray Lewis) won't be dealt with very positively by the NFLPA or the team that the player is on...

If the NFLPA truly represents the best interests of the players, they will support this as long as the NFL doesn't take it too far.

But say Dunta Robinson gets suspended for the hit on Jackson (say 1 game). That wasn't an illegal hit and should not be penalized to begin with. It is unfortunate that concussions were suffered, but again it is a very legal hit

[From the class of 09]

Yeah I'm not sure what they will do with the Dunta Robinson hit as at the time it wasn't against the rules, but I've no problem with them changing the rule for the future effective immediately. They do need to clarify what will count as "devastating hits" as this is much too broad. But to say its football people get hurt so don't change the rules is just dumb.

[4everfsu]

Put a skirt on the QBs and WRs and that should solve the problem of hard hits