As my biggest complaint, the failure to complete tackles, comes to mind, I'd hate to be a defensive player or coach right now.
Every time I line up a ball carrier or QB, it's almost more important to think of where my head is going to end up, than what the rest of my body is doing. I don't think muscle memory is my savior since things change so fast during the play. I'm almost going into the play with my foot more hovering over the brake than on the gas pedal. That hesitation results in an arm tackle or a missed completed one.
I get that player safety is import and the equipment alone is not going to prevent injury, particularly concussions. On the other hand I still see a lot of players going into concussion protocol with the new rules. Most times when there is a targeting call there is no injury involved. Outside the sport we still see Boxing and MMA with no outcry for added safety. Those sports are more violent than football.
Yes, Football is a violent contact sport. Linemen butt helmets regularly with a hell of a lot of power going into the crash with no penalty. If a running back lowers his head right before the contact the tackler is in jeopardy of missing at least half a game, not good for him or his team. He can't put full effort into the tackle, also not good for him or the team. Still, every game seems to produce such an ejection.
I want to see viscous hits penalized, always have. As an official who worked before there was such a thing as the targeting call, we tossed the flag for unnecessary roughness. The new rule takes judgement out of the picture. I'd like to see it eliminated and add ejection to the penalty for unnecessary roughness, perhaps with the suspension. If not that, add an offensive targeting call for when lowering his helmet by a carrier causes the contact. Boy would that sissify the game. Might as well play flag football as have both the runner and tackler trying to avoid illegal contact. Right now, the tackler is at a disadvantage so I'm not surprised by the poor tacking results we see on the field.
In all the years I officiated (I'd have to do more than take my shoes off and unzip my pants to count them) I've never seen a serious injury. They occurred on other fields before other officials but they were not common. College ball, granted, has more bigger faster players and more chance but still the serious injuries were not commonplace and the new regs haven't eliminated them. I'm not sure they have done much at all, but numbers could prove me wrong.
We don't need a room full of guys second guessing the officials on the field and stopping play while they watch a replay a couple dozen times to decide if an official might have missed a call. We don't need a cut and dried definition regarding contact. As an official, I know we know a real penalty deserving play when we see one.
A little common sense would improve tackling and produce better games, maybe even stop me from having to scream at a TV screen.
Every time I line up a ball carrier or QB, it's almost more important to think of where my head is going to end up, than what the rest of my body is doing. I don't think muscle memory is my savior since things change so fast during the play. I'm almost going into the play with my foot more hovering over the brake than on the gas pedal. That hesitation results in an arm tackle or a missed completed one.
I get that player safety is import and the equipment alone is not going to prevent injury, particularly concussions. On the other hand I still see a lot of players going into concussion protocol with the new rules. Most times when there is a targeting call there is no injury involved. Outside the sport we still see Boxing and MMA with no outcry for added safety. Those sports are more violent than football.
Yes, Football is a violent contact sport. Linemen butt helmets regularly with a hell of a lot of power going into the crash with no penalty. If a running back lowers his head right before the contact the tackler is in jeopardy of missing at least half a game, not good for him or his team. He can't put full effort into the tackle, also not good for him or the team. Still, every game seems to produce such an ejection.
I want to see viscous hits penalized, always have. As an official who worked before there was such a thing as the targeting call, we tossed the flag for unnecessary roughness. The new rule takes judgement out of the picture. I'd like to see it eliminated and add ejection to the penalty for unnecessary roughness, perhaps with the suspension. If not that, add an offensive targeting call for when lowering his helmet by a carrier causes the contact. Boy would that sissify the game. Might as well play flag football as have both the runner and tackler trying to avoid illegal contact. Right now, the tackler is at a disadvantage so I'm not surprised by the poor tacking results we see on the field.
In all the years I officiated (I'd have to do more than take my shoes off and unzip my pants to count them) I've never seen a serious injury. They occurred on other fields before other officials but they were not common. College ball, granted, has more bigger faster players and more chance but still the serious injuries were not commonplace and the new regs haven't eliminated them. I'm not sure they have done much at all, but numbers could prove me wrong.
We don't need a room full of guys second guessing the officials on the field and stopping play while they watch a replay a couple dozen times to decide if an official might have missed a call. We don't need a cut and dried definition regarding contact. As an official, I know we know a real penalty deserving play when we see one.
A little common sense would improve tackling and produce better games, maybe even stop me from having to scream at a TV screen.
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