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My wife has a football question I can’t answer…

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OhioLion

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And I have often asked the same question.
if it is a PF hands to the face for linemen due to the danger of the action, why is a stiff arm to the face mask (not grabbing) of the defender by the ball carrier that ends in the same danger to the recipient, not a penalty?

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LB99

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OhioLion said:
And I have often asked the same question.
if it is a PF hands to the face for linemen due to the danger of the action. Why is a stiff arm to the face mask (not grabbing) of the defender by the ball carrier that ends in the same danger to the recipient, not a penalty?

OL
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Good question. I’ve also always wondered why spiking the ball to stop the clock isn’t intentional grounding?
 
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Tom McAndrew

Tom McAndrew

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I don't know the NFL rule. Perhaps @Erial_Lion does.

In high school football, the rules on Illegal Use of Hands/Holding specifically exempts the runner for a hand to the face. As long as the arm is straight with no punching blow, it is legal unless he grasps the face mask.
 
NittPicker

NittPicker

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Sometimes you see a ball carrier jack up the face mask of a would be tackler. He doesn't grasp it but uses the heel of his hand to leverage the hell out of it. It's not a penalty (that I've seen) but if a lineman does it, it's illegal. I get there are exceptions for ball carriers but wrenching up a face mask can be a safety issue.
 
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AvgUser

AvgUser

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NittPicker said:
Sometimes you see a ball carrier jack up the face mask of a would be tackler. He doesn't grasp it but uses the heel of his hand to leverage the hell out of it. It's not a penalty (that I've seen) but if a lineman does it, it's illegal. I get there are exceptions for ball carriers but wrenching up a face mask can be a safety issue.
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Same thing with a ball carrier lowering their head to gain yardage. It often leads to helmet to helmet (targeting) contact.
 
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s1uggo72

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AvgUser said:
Same thing with a ball carrier lowering their head to gain yardage. It often leads to helmet to helmet (targeting) contact.
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First the NFL does not have a targeting rule
Second in theory the RB can be called for that
 
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OhioLion

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NittPicker said:
Sometimes you see a ball carrier jack up the face mask of a would be tackler. He doesn't grasp it but uses the heel of his hand to leverage the hell out of it. It's not a penalty (that I've seen) but if a lineman does it, it's illegal. I get there are exceptions for ball carriers but wrenching up a face mask can be a safety issue.
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You described it better than I did.
Thank you.

OL
 
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Erial_Lion

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From a rules standpoint, the rule is written that you can’t block a player with contact to the head or neck…but no such rule exists for a runner. I can’t comment on the “why”, but they are calling it as the rule is written.

If the runner grabs the facemask, it is a facemask penalty.
 
Alphalion75

Alphalion75

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OhioLion said:
And I have often asked the same question.
if it is a PF hands to the face for linemen due to the danger of the action, why is a stiff arm to the face mask (not grabbing) of the defender by the ball carrier that ends in the same danger to the recipient, not a penalty?

OL
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Because it simply is not the rule. Does it make sense? Dunno.
 
leinbacker

leinbacker

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LB99 said:
Good question. I’ve also always wondered why spiking the ball to stop the clock isn’t intentional grounding?
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Spiking the ball to stop the clock wasn't always a rule. I think it came in the 80s. Previously QBs would throw the ball out of bounds. Blackledge once tried the throw the ball out of bounds and didn't throw it high enough and it was picked off.
 
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AvgUser

AvgUser

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s1uggo72 said:
It’s called forceable contact to the head or neck. But it’s not reviewable and you are not disqualified, like you would be w targeting
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BFD. “Forceable contact” aka targeting.
Running backs use the rod helmet as a battering ram all the time. It apparently legal. Defenders? Not legal.
 
nittanyfan333

nittanyfan333

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i don't know the rules, but anecdotally, illegal hands to the face and neck always has seemed to me to be a lineman letting their hands go up INto the facemask or neck to gain leverage, whereas the stiff-arm is ONto the facemask. now.... where I get confused is the stiff-arms that are open handed thrusts or punches. how that's not a penalty is beyond me.
 
SW-Lion

SW-Lion

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I have the same problem with my wife and explaining football. I had to explain the whole down situation to her.
 
LionJim

LionJim

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SW-Lion said:
I have the same problem with my wife and explaining football. I had to explain the whole down situation to her.
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The first time I ever watched a football game with my (later) wife she asked me, “Why did they let the guy run so far before tackling him?” It might have been a joke, I never got that clarified.
 
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SW-Lion

SW-Lion

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LionJim said:
The first time I ever watched a football game with my (later) wife she asked me, “Why did they let the guy run so far before tackling him?” It might have been a joke, I never got that clarified.
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Right! Then she says, “why don’t they give all the players a ball so they don’t have to fight over it!?”
 
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Bvillebaron

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LB99 said:
Good question. I’ve also always wondered why spiking the ball to stop the clock isn’t intentional grounding?
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Well I don’t know about the face mask question but it’s not intentional grounding because the QB is spiking the ball to stop the clock not to avoid a sack or loss of yardage.
 
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Bvillebaron

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leinbacker said:
Spiking the ball to stop the clock wasn't always a rule. I think it came in the 80s. Previously QBs would throw the ball out of bounds. Blackledge once tried the throw the ball out of bounds and didn't throw it high enough and it was picked off.
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Yeah I remember that play. It was against Pitt when Penn State could have pulled out the game with a late score. The impressive thing about Blackledge is that he was a quick study. When faced with the same situation in his very next game, a bowl game, he threw the ball about 15 rows into the stands.
 
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Anon1684634162

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How bout this…

In College Football, I always wondered why on a FG attempt, the holder’s knee is down but the play continues. Shouldn’t the play be dead when the holder has the ball while his knee is down?
 
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Erial_Lion

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Anon1684634162 said:
How bout this…

In College Football, I always wondered why on a FG attempt, the holder’s knee is down but the play continues. Shouldn’t the play be dead when the holder has the ball while his knee is down?
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The rules state that when you're in formation for a kick, the knee being down doesn't kill the play and it's still live...the holder can even run a fake out of it, taking off running or throwing the ball, as it's all about the formation as the play began.
 
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psuro

psuro

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Maybe your wife can answer a football question I can't answer......

Is there any single person on this planet who has gotten more unwarranted notoriety for doing absolutely nothing except being in the right place at the right time.....than Brittany Mahomes?
 
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LionJim

LionJim

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psuro said:
Maybe your wife can answer a football question I can't answer......

Is there any single person on this planet who has gotten more unwarranted notoriety for doing absolutely nothing except being in the right place at the right time.....than Brittany Mahomes?
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Mahomes’ brother comes to mind. Or Evelyn Nesbit:

en.m.wikipedia.org

Evelyn Nesbit - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org
 
Woodpecker

Woodpecker

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psuro said:
Maybe your wife can answer a football question I can't answer......

Is there any single person on this planet who has gotten more unwarranted notoriety for doing absolutely nothing except being in the right place at the right time.....than Brittany Mahomes?
Click to expand...
Kris Jenner?
 
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LastFedaykin

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Oct 26, 2021
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Back to intentional grounding. I believe there is a clause that says you have to be under pressure for it to be IG, this of you grab and spike it, no time for pressure.
 
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