The NFL’s new ‘Helmet Rule’ has all the makings of a huge disaster, mostly since very few understand what constitutes a penalty and what is still a legal hit. The preseason has already seen a number penalties and ejections citing the rule that were, at best, confusing, so today NFL Senior V.P. of Officiating Al Riveron tweeted out a video entitled ‘Way to Play’ to clear everything up. It didn’t….at all.
The video shows 3 legal hits from the preseason, in addition to 3 illegal hits under the rule. The legal hits seem to be pretty cut-and-dry, but it’s really hard to tell what’s exactly wrong with the 3 illegal examples. The only thing that’s clear from the video is that this rule is setting up to be a huge mess this season, and regularly become the target of fan hatred.
Watch the video and let the NFL not clear this up for you at all.
The Use of Helmet rule is designed to protect players from unnecessary risk. It’s illegal to lower your head to initiate contact against an opponent. This rule applies to all players & the entire field. The 1st 3 plays are examples of the #NFLWaytoPlay and the last 3 are fouls. pic.twitter.com/HzfR196UIg
— Al Riveron (@alriveron) August 15, 2018
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