re: Skalski hit in our game last year was targeting, last night's call is total crap!

If you look at the film closely, Stalski has his head to the left and Fields is turning that direction which is what causes him to strike Fields with his helmet. If Fields is not turning that direction, Stalski's helmet stays to the left. This is football, not powderpuff football. Plays happen fast and sometimes the offensive player causes the targeting by their movement.

quote:

---

If you look at the film closely, Stalski has his head to the left and Fields is turning

---

Dress it up however you want but you should look at the film even more closely.

Skalski has his head lowered, he’s looking at the ground, leading with the crown and hits Fields in the back, right kidney/rib side. If Skalski had kept his eyes up, very good chance that a flag would not have been thrown.

In any event, that’s not what he did which is why a flag was thrown and he was tossed.

For comparison, look at the hit he put on Burrow last season right before the half. He kept his eyes up and still delivered the hit. Didn’t lead with the crown of the helmet. No flag and he remained in the game until he did target JJ.

The guy has a history of doing it. He doesn’t learn, like I said earlier.



The poster below this shows the video. He clearly leads with the crown of the helmet.

Dude is a dirty hitter with shitty technique. Wrap up and hit if you are such a classic old school LB. Instead he spears him because he couldn't deliver a legit clean hit. Skalski is a mongloid

quote:

---

Running backs lead with their head all the time and they also strike defenders in the face mask all the time when they stiff arm a defender, but nothing is called. However, if a OL/DL hits in the mask area, it's a penalty!

---

If you spent 5 minutes looking up the rule it would make sense. But you’d rather shitpost instead, so I’ll help you.

Here’s the first part of the targeting rule:

quote:

---

Targeting and Making Forcible Contact With the Crown of the Helmet
ARTICLE 3. No player shall target and make forcible contact against an opponent with the crown of his helmet. This foul requires that there be at least one indicator of targeting (See Note 1 below). When in question, it is a foul. (Rule 9-6) (A.R. 9-1-3-I)

---

This is effectively the spearing rule. If any player makes forcible contact with the crown of the helmet (not the face mask) and any of the other “indicators” of targeting are in effect (basically “attacking” with the helmet, lowering the head prior to the hit, or “launching”), it’s targeting.

In reality, this part of the rule is just the old spearing rule repackaged. If a running back or offensive lineman gets called for targeting, it’s probably this part of the rule because they speared someone. But your statement that running backs “lead with their head all the time” misses the point. Running backs don’t lead with the crown of their helmet all the time - at least not if they want their lower body to function for long. If they put their head down and hit the defender in the chest with the crown of their helmet, it’s targeting. If they keep their head up and hit a defender with their face mask while falling forward, it’s not.

Here’s the second part of the rule:

quote:

---

Targeting and Making Forcible Contact to Head or Neck Area of a Defenseless Player
ARTICLE 4. No player shall target and make forcible contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent (See Note 2 below) with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder. This foul requires that there be at least one indicator of targeting (See Note 1 below). When in question, it is a foul (Rules 2-27-14 and 9-6). (A.R. 9-1-4-I-VI)

---

This part of the rule only applies to contact with defenseless players. A linebacker trying to tackle an RB is not defenseless, so a stiff arm doesn’t count. However, a linebacker away from the play who gets blind-sided is defenseless. Similarly, a running back carrying the ball in the tackle box is not defenseless. A running back trying to catch a pass on a wheel route is defenseless.

So in summary, you can’t make forcible contact to any player (regardless of where you hit them) with the crown of your helmet under the first part of the rule.

Under the second part of the rule, you can’t make forcible contact to the head or neck area of any defenseless player, regardless of whether you use the crown of the helmet, your face mask, your shoulder, or your forearm.

quote:

---

strike defenders in the face mask all the time when they stiff arm a defender, but nothing is called

---

that’s not a face mask penalty you stupid frick. Running backs don’t grab a face mask and pull players down by it

quote:

---

classic targeting...

---

Yeah, no way to defend that.

Someone commented that you don't see that called much anymore... that's because it's been taken out of the game for the most part.

quote:

---

The guy has a history of doing it. He doesn’t learn, like I said earlier.

---

Targeting or not, Skalski has a history of nasty hits: Last year against Burrow and Jefferson. This year against Fields. When it is the same player over and over again, you have to wonder if he is deliberately trying to take people out.

" 'Targeting' means that a player takes aim at an opponent for purposes of attacking with forcible contact that goes beyond making a legal tackle or a legal block or playing the ball." The targeting rule was developed as a player safety measure.
Since the rule was established in 2013, players who were flagged for targeting — defined by the NCAA as forcible contact with the crown of the helmet or forcible contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent — were expelled from the field of play

It is a rule and Skalski broke the rule, not hard to understand the rule and it is there for player safety both players.