Rookie Symposium Cancelled & 'Defenseless Players' Rules Changed

[Montsta]

http://m.espn.go.com/nfl/story?w=1anux&storyId=6583036&i=TOP&topslot=1

The rules changes are also listed on foxsports.com. Am I understanding this correctly that after a turnover, you can no longer hit the quarterback?? If that's the case, I call bullpoo.

Edit: I didn't read the gonorrhea thread, so I guess we can focus on the rule changes here.

[jherald]

Sux!

[Mr. Burgundy]

Down with goodell

[jtnc]

Roger Goodell is the worst damn comissioner ever.

[SorthNarolina]

with research about football related injures becoming more and more prominent these rules will only continue. It's a shame but guys in the 1970s would call today's rules wussy too.

[Snake]

I blame the union. They are pushing for lifetime healthcare so they have to put these rules in.

[The Saltman]

might as well change it to flag football.

[HsvPantherFan]

"A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass"

This one really has me confused. Does this mean that a blitzing DE has to run around the quarterback if he doesn't get there before the qb starts to pass.

[grateflday]

The hit on the WR one is going to be crazy, I remember how bad is was starting to get last year. It just seams like now the defense is just basically going to have to wait until the guy catches the ball and starts to run otherwise any hit is going to be called a penalty. :confused: No more timing it to pop the ball out to prevent a catch right when its caught or the second after before the WR starts to run and has established two feet down. Its basically just let the WR catch the ball and start running before you can tackle/hit him.

* A receiver attempting to catch a pass or one who has not completed a catch and hasn't had time to protect himself or hasn't clearly become a runner. If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player.

[PantherBoy95]

The hit on the WR one is going to be crazy, I remember how bad is was starting to get last year. It just seams like now the defense is just basically going to have to wait until the guy catches the ball and starts to run otherwise any hit is going to be called a penalty. :confused: No more timing it to pop the ball out to prevent a catch right when its caught or the second after before the WR starts to run and has established two feet down. Its basically just let the WR catch the ball and start running before you can tackle/hit him.

WHAT THE ABSOLUTE fug.... if that rule is the way it is worded I will not even want to watch football anymore (ok so I will but you get the point)... I guess they're worried about health well guess what....when you get paid and worshipped like a top dog gladiator you have to do top dog gladiator type poo....

:cuss: Rant over.... :biggrin5:

[Montsta]

Quote:

* A receiver attempting to catch a pass or one who has not completed a catch and hasn't had time to protect himself or hasn't clearly become a runner. If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player.

I've been reading that for 10 minutes and don't understand it. How the hell is a defensive player supposed to diagnose whether or not a WR is able to avoid or ward off contact in a matter of half a second?

Remember those old "You wouldn't make it in the NFL" commercials where the guy faints on the table after the trainer pops the guys finger back into place? I'm starting to think maybe I could now make it in the NFL.

From this year on, all WR's stats should have an asterisk next to them. Not to take anything away from them, but even when I played in high school there was always guys playing WR who were afraid to get hit. They didn't last long on the team. Now they know they can do whatever they want and can't be touched until they have come down with the ball, secured it, surveyed the field, and made a move to avoid the tackle. This is crap man.

[Montsta]

You all do realize that the issue is not hitting, its the "launching" at a defenseless player that's being targeted here? Don't you?

It was my understanding that last year they said you cannot hit a defenseless player. While these changes focused on 'launching', I understood it to mean that they defined 'defenseless player' in a broader sense of the rules. So now the WR I mentioned above is a defenseless player, and thus under last year's rules, cannot be hit. I guess I misunderstood, but the article didn't specify it as 'launching' circumstances only.

[rayzor]

I've been reading that for 10 minutes and don't understand it. How the hell is a defensive player supposed to diagnose whether or not a WR is able to avoid or ward off contact in a matter of half a second?

it's really simple...don't hit the WR until he hits the ground and starts running with the ball. if you hit him while he's in the air or has a chance to get his feet planted, then you've hit him too early.

[DaCityKats]

its a bang- bang play. if a defender is running to the ball and the wr is in between him and the ball he is naturally going to run threw that wr.