Does any know what helmets are being used in practice?

jdoggivjc · 09-18-2007, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by BillyClone

Cross body blocks and chop blocks were a main weapon for the offensive linemen.

Chop blocks or cut blocks? Big difference in legality. A cut block is when someone goes low on a player, usually around the thighs, to get a defensive player to fall down over him so the QB has more line of sight - similar to chopping down a forest. A chop block is when someone engages the defender up high, followed by someone engaging that defender low, usually around the knees. This is a very dirty block, can blow out the defender's knees, and will **** a defense off to no end.

cys_av8r · 09-18-2007, 12:00 PM

Most EIU students are required to wear one of these when on campus.

jdoggivjc · 09-18-2007, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by cys_av8r

Most EIU students are required to wear one of these when on campus.

Doesn't help them any that they all have this personality:

jbhtexas · 09-18-2007, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by BillyClone

Agreed. Back then the common injury was a dislocated shoulder. Today it's the concussion.

Watch old film. No one lowers the head and tries to deliver a blow -- it was all done with the shoulder pad. Cross body blocks and chop blocks were a main weapon for the offensive linemen.

Very interesting comment...back when I was playing HS FB (early 80's), the coaches preached against lowering the head when making a hit. Coach said he didn't want anyone becoming a para/quadriplegic. Anyone who came in with the head lowered ended up running sprints or laps until they nearly dropped dead.

Everytime I see someone flying in with their head lowered, I just cringe. That's just begging for a spinal injury...

Steve · 09-18-2007, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by jdoggivjc

Chop blocks or cut blocks? Big difference in legality. A cut block is when someone goes low on a player, usually around the thighs, to get a defensive player to fall down over him so the QB has more line of sight - similar to chopping down a forest. A chop block is when someone engages the defender up high, followed by someone engaging that defender low, usually around the knees. This is a very dirty block, can blow out the defender's knees, and will **** a defense off to no end.

Blocking was very different in the leather helmet days. You could block below the waist downfield and even on special teams as long as you didn't clip or block from behind. You could cut, chop, hi/low, whatever. The big difference was that you could not use your hands at all even between the shoulder pads. You basically had to keep a closed fist so it was harder to control the defender's upper body while a teammate hit the guy low. The typical blocks were either shoulder or cross body which minimized the need for a more elaborate helmet/facemask.

Clonefan94 · 09-18-2007, 01:04 PM

Heck, I'm not that old, but, when I started playing High School Football, The only way to block was to have a closed fist and have it in your chest. You couldn't extend your hands at all. It was the classic pose with fist at your chest and elbows out to either side. I believe it was my juniour year that they changed it to where you could actually have your fists out, but, it was still a judgement call if your hands were open. I find it amazing to see what they let the linemen get away with nowadays, but, the speed that is in the game now wasn't there like it is today. The game evolves. That's why we have the helmets we do. Yeah, if we took them away we may have less concussions, but, over all it's much safer to have that helmet and facemask on. Getting hit with a knee to the head without a helmet probably causes a lot more problems than two helmets smacking into each other.