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Why are offensive players allowed to forcefully stiff arm defensive players to the head?
Posted on 1/13/25 at 11:15 am
Posted on 1/13/25 at 11:15 am
Can anyone explain to me why offensive players are allowed to forcefully stiff arm defensive players to their head and face mask, yet anytime a defensive player goes anywhere near an offensive player's head they're basically treated like a war criminal?
I mean, we all know why, but still
In the Eagles Packers game Dallas Goebert caught a short pass that he turned into a touchdown by delivering two hellacious stiff arms to the DB's facemask.
On the replay Brady and Burkhardt were positively gushing over them. If a defensive player does anything like that to an offensive player they'd be penalized and possibly ejected (especially in college) all in the name of safety, but I guess brain injuries and blows to the head don't count when they're to defensive players.
(For the record, I'm not a Packers fan and this isn't a sour grapes post, just something I've always noticed and yet another example of the NFL and NCAA's hypocrisy in regards to safety and player health)
I mean, we all know why, but still
In the Eagles Packers game Dallas Goebert caught a short pass that he turned into a touchdown by delivering two hellacious stiff arms to the DB's facemask.
On the replay Brady and Burkhardt were positively gushing over them. If a defensive player does anything like that to an offensive player they'd be penalized and possibly ejected (especially in college) all in the name of safety, but I guess brain injuries and blows to the head don't count when they're to defensive players.
(For the record, I'm not a Packers fan and this isn't a sour grapes post, just something I've always noticed and yet another example of the NFL and NCAA's hypocrisy in regards to safety and player health)
14
Posted on 1/13/25 at 11:24 am to IggyReilly
Fair question. D-lineman does the same damn thing to an O-lineman…it’s a penalty.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 11:28 am to IggyReilly
It's just another way to "castrate" the defense and provide opportunities for the offense!
Posted on 1/13/25 at 11:48 am to IggyReilly
I'm not sure if a defensive player simply making contact with a ball carrier's head in open field with their hand is a penalty, unless its a QB or "defenseless player." You just can't grab the facemask or under the helmet. Maybe I am wrong.
They'll call a facemask on a ball carrier these days if they stiff arm and grab onto the defender's helmet.
anyway, if the banned a stiffarm to the head or face, that would kind of suck.
They'll call a facemask on a ball carrier these days if they stiff arm and grab onto the defender's helmet.
anyway, if the banned a stiffarm to the head or face, that would kind of suck.
This post was edited on 1/13/25 at 11:50 am
Posted on 1/13/25 at 11:53 am to IggyReilly
Derrick Henry is basically punching people with his open palm at this point.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 11:57 am to IggyReilly
Lots of sissies in this thread already…
What happened to tackling low? You come in trying to hug someone in a sport like football, you deserve to be forcefully contacted in the head.
What happened to tackling low? You come in trying to hug someone in a sport like football, you deserve to be forcefully contacted in the head.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 12:12 pm to Funky Tide 8
quote:
I'm not sure if a defensive player simply making contact with a ball carrier's head in open field with their hand is a penalty, unless its a QB or "defenseless player." You just can't grab the facemask or under the helmet. Maybe I am wrong. They'll call a facemask on a ball carrier these days if they stiff arm and grab onto the defender's helmet. anyway, if the banned a stiffarm to the head or face, that would kind of suck.
It's not really about banning the stiff-arm, just pointing out the double standard between how offensive and defensive players are expected to operate. Defensive players are expected to hit offensive players in a "Goldilocks" zone; can't be too high, can't be too low, can't perform a hip drop or horse collar from behind, etc. all in the name of safety. If the receiver or ball carrier dips down suddenly while the defender has already started his tackle the onus is on the defensive player to figure out how to defy physics and somehow change his trajectory and avoid the offensive players' head and neck area. Yet offensive players are allowed to wail away. Deacon Jones was famous for his "head slap" to offensive linemen (which was long ago banned), but if the offensive ball carrier head slaps a would be tackler it's all good in the hood.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 12:16 pm to DByrd2
I'd also like to know when helmet to helmet stopped being a thing they called.
This post was edited on 1/13/25 at 12:20 pm
Posted on 1/13/25 at 12:22 pm to IggyReilly
By definition, wouldn’t it be illegal hands to face?
Posted on 1/13/25 at 12:30 pm to IggyReilly
quote:
If a defensive player does anything like that to an offensive player they'd be penalized and possibly ejected (especially in college) all in the name of safety, but I guess brain injuries and blows to the head don't count when they're to defensive players.
I would bench a defensive player for attempting to tackle a ballcarrier by stiff-arm. I don't think I've ever seen someone tackled by stiff-arm to the helmet. Your comparison is dumb. Muh other foot.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 12:37 pm to IggyReilly
You can hit a RB in the head with your hand, it just doesn’t really give you much of an advantage.
you can’t facemask them.
and that’s because it twists the neck.
You can’t do hands to the face either way.
and QBs are specials bois.
you can’t facemask them.
and that’s because it twists the neck.
You can’t do hands to the face either way.
and QBs are specials bois.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 12:43 pm to SammyTiger
I'm not saying there is anything wrong witht stiff arms, let's make that clear.
What I am saying though, is that if this is fine to do, illegal hands to the face shouldn't be a thing, at least the incidental ones.
What I am saying though, is that if this is fine to do, illegal hands to the face shouldn't be a thing, at least the incidental ones.
This post was edited on 1/13/25 at 12:46 pm
Posted on 1/13/25 at 12:43 pm to IggyReilly
Ive thought this for a long time . Doesn’t make sense
Posted on 1/13/25 at 1:02 pm to GoCrazyAuburn
Technically that should be called as the language is “control, twist. push or pull the push mask”
But it almost never gets called for a “push” and usually only gets called because the ref saw a helmet spin halfway around.
i’ve seen hands to the face to either way on the LOS.
But it almost never gets called for a “push” and usually only gets called because the ref saw a helmet spin halfway around.
i’ve seen hands to the face to either way on the LOS.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 1:05 pm to SammyTiger
Right, which is the point. If a ball carrier can do that pretty much at will and it never be called, they should do away with it being called at the LOS, when generally it isn't even really intentional.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 1:08 pm to navy
quote:
Fair question. D-lineman does the same damn thing to an O-lineman…it’s a penalty.
Yeah. A guy like Carl Eller back in the day is probably responsible for 90% of O-lineman CTE in the league.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 1:09 pm to GoCrazyAuburn
Damn. That's some Bama on Bama violence right there.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 1:10 pm to GoCrazyAuburn
I feel like the way it’s called now is more the spirit of the law than the letter.
We don’t want helmets getting twisted around on tackles.
we don’t want OL or DL co trolling each other by getting up into the helmet.
Stiff arms are part of the game and have been considered a legit football move throughout the entire history. there is minimal risk of injury and there isn’t really a competitive advantage to stiffening a facemask vs the top of their helmet.
We don’t want helmets getting twisted around on tackles.
we don’t want OL or DL co trolling each other by getting up into the helmet.
Stiff arms are part of the game and have been considered a legit football move throughout the entire history. there is minimal risk of injury and there isn’t really a competitive advantage to stiffening a facemask vs the top of their helmet.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 1:29 pm to SammyTiger
quote:
I feel like the way it’s called now is more the spirit of the law than the letter.
Well, that makes it worse
quote:
we don’t want OL or DL co trolling each other by getting up into the helmet.
Cool, so keep the rule as is and just call it evenly, ball carriers shouldn't be able to do it either, if that is the position you want to take.
quote:
Stiff arms are part of the game and have been considered a legit football move throughout the entire history.
So, with this position, should a DE be able to stiff arm an OT as he tries to go around the edge? It is no more dangerous or risk of injury than a RB doing it to a would be tackler. The rule should be consistent. A stiff arm is a stiff arm.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 1:31 pm to Funky Tide 8
If a linebacker punched a running back in the helmet in the open field they are 100% getting a flag
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