Illegal block

[dabears32]

Help me resolve a debate.

Was this a legal block?

Nebraska's Kenny Bell Delivered The Best Legal Block In College Football This Season, So Of Course He Was Flagged For It

I say no it was helmet to helmet and maybe launching

[MeanDean]

Looks like helmet to helmet in the slomo replay. If not for that, maybe Nebby would have won

[ianoconnor]

He led with his shoulder. Legit block, the guy clearly had an opportunity to tackle the ball carrier.

[Tredici]

Completely legal. Defense pursuing a WR, not looking, offensive player comes in and lays a shoulder down. I see no reason why this wouldn't be legal, we aren't playing soccer here.

[dabears32]

pause it at the 46 sec mark. Looks like clear helmet to helmet action to me

[Clonefan94]

It was legal. If you are going to start penalizing guys for putting a block on someone who had a shot at the ball carrier, then you might as well put flags on everyone. He lead with the shoulder, it was clear in full speed and in slo-mo replay. It was one of the worst calls of the season, imo, for all the "defenseless" type calls I've seen this season. It's football, sometimes you get hit so hard it hurts, doesn't mean it's illeagal.

[AllInForISU]

Seneca Wallace - "The Run" - YouTube

Looks like the same kind of block you see at the 24 second mark of this play. And we all know it was legal then!

[IcSyU]

I wish I knew how the rule was written. In principal it's no different than the free safety targeting a receiver going across the middle. If it's written to only protect receivers then it was legal. Then you get into the quarterback argument where going near the head is an automatic flag.

All that said, it was a good flag. The helmet to helmet made it a pretty easy call, especially considering it's a point of emphasis for this year and probably will be for the foreseeable future.

[huntt26]

That was awesome

[Tredici]

Defenseless receivers have not made the play yet, thus protecting the ability to not impede a play. In this circumstance, the receiver had caught the ball and the defense was in pursuit. The offensive player got in front of the defender chasing and used his shoulder to knock him down. The fact that their helmets made contact isn't the issue because that happens all the time.

The thing is that he did not lead with his helmet. If the defensive player was hit like that before the ball was thrown, then it would be the exact same rule as defensive receiver.

If you watch the whole thing, Kenny Bell was very well mannered in how it was handled. He did not celebrate; he talked with the officials and didn't throw a hissy fit even though the call didn't go his way.

[AllInForISU]

Defenseless receivers have not made the play yet, thus protecting the ability to not impede a play. In this circumstance, the receiver had caught the ball and the defense was in pursuit. The offensive player got in front of the defender chasing and used his shoulder to knock him down. The fact that their helmets made contact isn't the issue because that happens all the time.

The thing is that he did not lead with his helmet. If the defensive player was hit like that before the ball was thrown, then it would be the exact same rule as defensive receiver.

If you watch the whole thing, Kenny Bell was very well mannered in how it was handled. He did not celebrate; he talked with the officials and didn't throw a hissy fit even though the call didn't go his way.

Wait...what?

[LutherBlue]

Defenseless receivers have not made the play yet, thus protecting the ability to not impede a play. In this circumstance, the receiver had caught the ball and the defense was in pursuit. The offensive player got in front of the defender chasing and used his shoulder to knock him down. The fact that their helmets made contact isn't the issue because that happens all the time.

The thing is that he did not lead with his helmet. If the defensive player was hit like that before the ball was thrown, then it would be the exact same rule as defensive receiver.

If you watch the whole thing, Kenny Bell was very well mannered in how it was handled. He did not celebrate; he talked with the officials and didn't throw a hissy fit even though the call didn't go his way.

I agree, much different circumstance between a receiver going for the ball and someone in pursuit of a ball carrier.

[dabears32]

helmet to helmet seems clear to me.

Not sure on the launching: to me its clear he was but can you get flagged when one foot is still on the ground?

[Tredici]

Wait...what?

Essentially saying. The catch had already happened so "defenseless" kind of goes out the back door, especially since the defender was in pursuit. Also that he led with his shoulder. Accidental helmet to helmet happens every play (linemen).

[00clone]

This one's a hard one, the way I see it, and a good example of where football is right now.

By the rulebook, legal. There was helmet to helmet, but the blocker clearly led with his shoulder. Simple physics and physiology that the shoulder is close to the head and at those speeds, things keep moving.

However, with the defender having no clue that the blocker was coming, the same goal (block to prevent a tackle) could have been accomplished with a same speed push, leading with the hands. In my mind, an instance of 'ohhhhh....ima light this effer up right here'.

But how do you deal with that? If a hard hit, just because it's a hard hit, is illegal, then we're playing a different game. On the flip side, hits like this are why the NFL is getting sued by former players for brain trauma.

You could take the easy path and say let the refs decide...give them more leeway on 'unnecessary roughness', but we're already arguing those calls today, giving them the reigns to decide what's justified and not is only going to get more controversial.