2010 Season Week 4 Clips
Kick Catch Interference on an Onside Kick Off In the "excitement" and action associated with an onside kick, we sometimes forget the receiving team still has the right to an unmolested opportunity to catch the kick (6-4-1). The protection is extended to the receiver who becomes airborne and gains control of the ball. He has not completed the catch until he comes to ground and is afforded protection to do so, whether or not he signals for a fair catch (2-2-7-a-3). Sometimes the kicker will kick he ball into the ground directly in front of the tee causing it to bounce into the air. If that happens, the receiver is no longer "catching" the ball but is "recovering" it, hence no protection.
Blocking Below the Waist The 2010 Bulletin # 1, item 2 indicated the blocks below the waist executed by players who are spread out and come back in towards the original position of the ball should be judged illegal if they are at any angle less than 90 degrees from line of scrimmage in towards the original position of the ball. To avoid a foul, the direction of the block has to be absolutely parallel with the sideline. Is the block by the inside receiver at the top of the screen legal or illegal? Who should catch this in a 7-man crew or a 5-man crew? A similar play: Blocking Below the Waist
Horsecollar Tackle The rules prohibit the tackler from grabbing the inside back collar of the shoulder pads or jersey, or inside collar of the shoulder pads or jersey, and immediately pulling the ball carrier down (9-1-2-p). They say nothing about grabbing the back of the jersey below the collar.
Sideline Warnings ? Rule 9-1-6 prohibits personnel from being in the restricted zone between the sideline and the coaching line while the ball is "IN PLAY". This used to result in "sideline warnings" being given to teams before any penalty yardage was assessed. A rule change eliminated the warnings and requires 5 yard penalty on first 2 offenses and 15 for each one thereafter. Perhaps some conferences have opted to handle differently.
Umpire Down Best wishes to Jerry Meyerhoff. He took a nasty hit in a recent game. Mr. Meyerhoff went out for awhile but returned to the game. Those umpires are always in the thick of things, even when the ball is dead. Hope you are feeling well Mr. Meyerhoff with no lasting ill effects!!