CONTACT TO AND WITH T HE HELMET

CONTACT TOAND WITHTHE HELMET Greater New Orleans Football Officials Association August 5, 2013

NFHS 2013 POINT OF EMPHASIS • KEEP THE HEAD OUT OF FOOTBALL • Minimize Risk of Catastrophic Injuries • Eliminate Direct Helmet-To-Helmet Contact • Eliminate Contact With and To Helmet • Officials – Strict Enforcement of Rules • Player Safety is Top Responsibility • When in Doubt, Contact is a Foul.

NFHS RULEBOOK • ILLEGAL HELMET CONTACT (Rule 2-20) • INITIATING CONTACT WITH HELMET • Butt Block (front of helmet against non-runner) • Face Tackle (front of helmet against runner) • Spearing (top / crown of helmet) • PERSONAL FOUL (Rule 9-4-3i) • Includes fouls against opponent lying on the ground, being held up by others, and defenseless opponent.

WHAT IT DOESN’T TELL US • What is a defenseless opponent? Case Book. • What about contact to an opponent’s helmet / neck area when the blocker doesn’t use his helmet? • Not a lot of examples in case book. • Pp. 16-17, 77.

PRIMARY CONCERNS • TARGETING OF DEFENSELESS PLAYERS • USING THE HELMET TO PUNISH • FORCEFUL CONTACT TO HEAD / NECK AREA

FOULS TO CALL • ILLEGAL HELMET CONTACT • Rule 9-4-3(i) • Use when blocker initiates contact with his helmet • UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS • Rule 9-3-4(g) • Use when blocker doesn’t use helmet but illegally contacts opponent in head or neck area • Also use for unnecessary hits on players out of the play

TARGETING • NO NFHS DEFINITION – KNOW IT WHEN YOU SEE IT • Taking aim to attack an opponent with apparent intent beyond making a legal block or tackle • Intentional • Actions show the player meant to use the helmet, or meant to contact a defenseless player above shoulders • Not simply two helmets that happen to contact each other • Not the hand that slides up to the helmet momentarily

DEFENSELESS PLAYERS • Physical Position / Focus of Concentration Makes Player Especially Vulnerable to Potential Injury • You know these players when you see them • Case Book Examples (pp. 74-75) • Draw distinction between necessary contact and that which targets defenseless players

DEFENSELESS PLAYERS • QB after hand-off / pitch and not participating • QB after change of possession • Passer in act of throwing or just after • Kicker in act of kicking or just after • Pass Receiver concentrating on catch or relaxing after miss • Kick Receiver concentrating on catch OR who has just touched the ball • Player relaxing when ball is dead • Player obviously out of play • Player on the ground • Player receiving a blind-side block

DEFENSELESS PLAYERS • QB / Passer / Kickers • Receivers • On Ground / Out of Play • Blindside Block

REMEMBER • NOT ALL CONTACT WITH A DEFENSELESS PLAYER IS A FOUL • HARD LEGAL CONTACT WILL OCCUR • THESE WILL BE FAST AND OFF-BALL • FOCUS IS THE HELMET AND HEAD

HOW TO JUDGE THE HIT • NEED TO KNOW WHAT’S COMING • FIND THE THREAT – BRICK IN HAND • Who is around the Receiver? Who is threatening the passer? Fish swimming up stream? • IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE BALL IN THE AIR OR WATCHING THE RUNNER IN SPACE, YOU WON’T SEE THIS • LOOK FOR HIGH OR LOW RISK ACTIONS

HIGH-RISK ACTIONS • LAUNCH – leaves feet with upward and forward thrust to contact head or neck area • THRUST – upward and forward thrust from a crouching to contact head or neck area, even though feet remain on ground • STRIKE – lead with helmet, forearms, fist, hand, elbow to contact head or neck area • HEAD DIP – lowering head before attack to initiate contact with crown of helmet

LOW-RISK ACTIONS • HEAD-UP – head is facing player, and crown of helmet does not hit above shoulders • WRAP-UP – player uses arms to wrap around player in effort to tackle or restrain him • HEAD-TO-SIDE – player’s head is to the side of opponent rather than initiating contact • POSITION CHANGE – position change by players causes helmets to contact incidentally

CONTACT TO AND WITH T HE HELMET