Helmet off, play blown down is dumbest rule ever

[pumpkinhead33793]

It doesn't help prevent injuries. It's not like anyone is going to immediately stop or can they stop once their helmet comes off in a bang bang play. All it does is punish a team for an unlucky break.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

You seem to really want to be in charge of the football rulebook

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

You seem to really want to be in charge of the football rulebook

What is the exact point in that new rule in the play similar to what happened tonight? All it literally does is punish a team for having a players helmet unluckily come off from a hit.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

What is the exact point in that new rule in the play similar to what happened tonight? All it literally does is punish a team for having a players helmet unluckily come off from a hit.

You can't have players playing without a helmet, so I think that part of the rule is good. The only way to enforce it is have it immediately blown dead right when the helmet comes off. Otherwise it becomes way too much of a judgment call. It needs to be black and white.

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

You can't have players playing without a helmet, so I think that part of the rule is good. The only way to enforce it is have it immediately blown dead right when the helmet comes off. Otherwise it becomes way too much of a judgment call. It needs to be black and white.

How about you have it come down to where his knee hit like on a normal tackle?

 

[BeastHawk]

It's a rule the league voted in for a reason. Whether anyone likes it or not is immaterial.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

Because then the player would continue to try to make a play. I understand where you are coming from on this particular situation, but I just don't think there is a better way to do it. Sure, the player will probably try to continue anyways, but in a situation where it is not a bang-bang play like that and the runner could break the tackle, the whistle needs to blow immediately.

 

[bksballer89]

I think it is a stupid rule also in a sense. If the runner is already on his way down what good does blowing the play dead have? IMO it should only be stopped if the runner is still on his 2 feet after the helmet comes off

 

[oaknightshockey1]

I think it is a stupid rule also in a sense. If the runner is already on his way down what good does blowing the play dead have? IMO it should only be stopped if the runner is still on his 2 feet after the helmet comes off

Again, how do you determine if this is the case? Too much of a judgment call IMO.

 

[bksballer89]

Again, how do you determine if this is the case? Too much of a judgment call IMO.

Not to me such as the case tonight. Bell was clearly on his way to the ground when his helmet came off. Blowing it dead was stupid and it would've been a major controversy if the Steelers didn't punch it in on that 4th down. Thankfully it did not have any impact on the outcome

 

[Steelboy84]

And just think if its fourth down. The defense NOW has an incentive to try and knock the helmet off without getting a flag.

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

But 99% of the time when the helmet comes off, the player is going to the ground in the process of that hit that caused the helmet to come off. Very rarely do you have the Witten example where he is running downfield without a helmet. So in that case, you have to blow it dead when it came off. But, in the vast majority of the time, you are not penalizing a team an extra yard or so (in this case a touchdown) because of a technicality. I think it would be easy to say that the official waits a split second to see if the receiver is down and if he is not he blows it dead and brings it back to the spot of the helmet coming off. If the receiver is down, it is like it never came off in the first place. I don't think that takes too much "extra" judgement on the officials part.

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

Not to me such as the case tonight. Bell was clearly on his way to the ground when his helmet came off. Blowing it dead was stupid and it would've been a major controversy if the Steelers didn't punch it in on that 4th down. Thankfully it did not have any impact on the outcome

It kinda still did because later they had to call timeout on that injury and would have had 2 timeouts after the onside kick. I think the Ravens would have only been able to run it down to 20 seconds or so and not all the way.

 

[Cobiemonster]

I think it is a stupid rule also in a sense. If the runner is already on his way down what good does blowing the play dead have? IMO it should only be stopped if the runner is still on his 2 feet after the helmet comes off

The problem with that is you can't assume the play is over just because it looks like the runner is already on his way down - don't you see a lot of times where players are fighting for the ball/tackle well after the play is over? It prevents from players battling for an unnecessary ball they know they won't get, when there's an injury - you don't want players hitting the injured player, or falling on them - plain and simple

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

The problem with that is you can't assume the play is over just because it looks like the runner is already on his way down - don't you see a lot of times where players are fighting for the ball/tackle well after the play is over? It prevents from players battling for an unnecessary ball they know they won't get, when there's an injury - you don't want players hitting the injured player, or falling on them - plain and simple

It used to be that the helmet was allowed to be off the entire play. You are telling me that ALL OF A SUDDEN it is soooooooo dangerous that the officials can't wait a split second to make the call? Give me a break.

 

[Money]

And just think if its fourth down. The defense NOW has an incentive to try and knock the helmet off without getting a flag.

How do you feel about a coach not only being in the white along the sideline (which he shouldn't be), but also sticking his foot out into the field during a play?

 

[oaknightshockey1]

It used to be that the helmet was allowed to be off the entire play. You are telling me that ALL OF A SUDDEN it is soooooooo dangerous that the officials can't wait a split second to make the call? Give me a break.

Yes. When there is multimillion dollar lawsuits as a result of head injuries, it IS that dangerous for the league.

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

Then you have to figure at some point the NFL is going to no longer exist at all in a tackling format.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

Then you have to figure at some point the NFL is going to no longer exist at all in a tackling format.

It's headed that way

 

[Wedgie]

How do you feel about a coach not only being in the white along the sideline (which he shouldn't be), but also sticking his foot out into the field during a play?

I think that was the biggest dick move by a coach in the NFL in years.