helmet to helmet

**tiberius** · 11-04-2009, 06:52 PM

I have been watching a lot of replays on espn360 and am really struggling to figure out the helmet to helmet calls. It seems to me there are over a half dozen plays a game when helmets hit, but a flag only seems to be called when the favored team needs a momentum change. I'm generally not into conspiracies, but it sure seems like a tool to give conference leaders an advantage. I am probably wrong, but have you ever seen ISU or any other bottom tier team get a helmet to helmet call in their favor?

**Clonehomer** · 11-04-2009, 07:10 PM

It is getting bad. There have been a lot of times that I've seen it called when the offensive player does as much to instigate the helmet to helmet than the defensive player. The LJ/Moeaki hit from last year is a perfect example of this. The defensive player goes in for the tackle and the offensive player lowers himself to absorb the hit and they end up going helmet to helmet. I don't know what you can do to stop it. Maybe only call it if the defensive player goes airborne trying to make the big hit.

**ISUAlum2002** · 11-04-2009, 07:25 PM

It seems also that the majority of the time the penalty goes against the visiting team. The one exception that I can remember is one against Iowa last year when they were playing Northwestern at home, I believe, and one of the safeties for Iowa just laid out a Northwestern receiver right out in the open in front of the official.

I understand what they're trying to do with the helmet to helmet penalty being on the books.....but the implementation of it has been inconsistent, to say the least. Not only that, but many times when its called, the defender has led with his shoulder and the helmet contact is incidental to the intended tackling technique. This is what happened with LJ last year. He went low to try to tackle a player he was giving up about 40 pounds to, and that player tried to go low on him to shed the tackle. The result was helmet to helmet contact that was not intentional, and that one bad call was a turning point in the game because it nullified a fumble. The intent of the penalty is to protect defenseless players when they don't have time to react and brace for a hit. Moeaki was not defenseless on that play, he saw the defender coming and made a conscious decision to try to beat him to the lower position.

When does an offensive player get called for helmet to helmet contact? Lowering the helmet to try to break through for more yardage is a coached technique.

**redrage** · 11-04-2009, 07:30 PM

My take on it was that it was supposed to eliminate the high hits where players are head hunting. But they have taken that to the level of what others have been saying about ducking into the hit.

**Aaron Jacobs** · 11-04-2009, 07:32 PM

They should really just leave the penalty at Spearing. It seems to me that helmet to helmet is usually because of an adjustment by the offensive player. However I do sort of agree with it when it comes to quarterbacks because they are semi-defenseless players

**Chizit** · 11-04-2009, 07:35 PM

Ever since LJ's 'illegal' hit last year against Iowa I've been a little picky about the helmet to helmet calls. In two or three of the ones I've seen the player who got hit also got injured... just something that I think could effect it.

**CyCloned** · 11-04-2009, 08:27 PM

I think if the player that takes the hit doesn't pop right up then the flag is more likely to come out. One of the things that I have noticed is that when someone puts a big hit on someone and drives them back, the player that is hit naturally tips his head down as he is being forced back. I agree that this is a very subjective call and seems to go to the home team. Iowa got a first down with one last week against Indiana that looked pretty weak.

**ripvdub** · 11-04-2009, 08:47 PM

The H2H called in the IU/UI game this last weekend was a joke, like most calls like it. The IU player clearly lead with his shoulder but their helmets did happen to touch after the shoulder pads made the initial hit.
They need to make these calls a judgement call, not black n white calls.

**usedcarguy** · 11-04-2009, 11:42 PM

The incredible inconsistencies of the calls are ruining the game.

The only way to reduce those nasty collisions is to require all hits to include the wrapping of the arms around the ball carrier. No more tackling people by smacking them with your shoulder pads and watching them fall down. if you can wrap up, you can hit as hard as you want.

I'm not sure what the overall effect on the game would be, but it would no doubt be significant.

**CYCLNST8** · 11-05-2009, 09:49 AM

agreed officials are not fair when making the calls- I also think pass interference has gotten way out of hand....

**Bobber** · 11-05-2009, 09:51 AM

I think it's a bogus call. Let them play football! That's what the helmets are there to protect.

**JJ4ISU** · 11-05-2009, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Bobber

I think it's a bogus call. Let them play football! That's what the helmets are there to protect.

Totally agree. It's hard not to lead with your helmet when it's on top of your head!!! The only time it should be called is when it is obvious the defender was using his helmet as a weapon, head to head; but I've seen some calls when guys make a great form tackle and get called for it.

**BryceC** · 11-05-2009, 10:00 AM

Tom Jackson on that NFL show on ESPN has always said you cannot regulate hitting in football. 90% of these calls are just good, hard hits where the helmets happen to collide. The defensive players cannot anticipate how the ballcarrier will move his head, we cannot expect them to know that and we can't expect the referees to get it right. Bad rule and should stop at spearing.

**kcclone33** · 11-05-2009, 11:42 AM

I don't know if this is part of the rule or not, but in highschool (only 4 years ago) i was taught, by a previous ALL-American linebacker, to lead with your upper chest/shoulders, and the first thing to make contact should be your face mask. It is almost impossible to do any damage to you head/back/neck this way because the injuries happen when your spine gets compressed or when your head is bent forward to far (facemasks help stop this).

I've seen plenty of calls when the only part of the defenders helmet that hit the player was the facemask, i dont think this should be a penelty at all.

If a defender or offensive player is leading with the top of their helmet(not keeping their head up, which is a big no no) then it's spearing and this should be called every single time. We don't need this helmet to helmet bull crap. If they can't even incidentally collide without a penalty why the hell did we start wearing them in the first place.