NFL says no more tuck rule and watch your helmet from now on
The NFL has changed some rules. Most notably, a runner or defender may no longer lower their head and use the helmet outside the tackle box.
Running backs, past and present are up in arms because they are the ones who’ve benefitted most from being able to do it. Many an extra yard has been gained by a runner “lowering the boom” into the midsection of a defender.
The reason for the rule change points to a safety issue — concussions and neck injuries are of great concern — and while it is a good idea to protect players, some are wondering how you can “teach and old dog new tricks” in this case.
At the youth level, players are being taught to play differently and more safely, but we are talking about the pros and grown men who have played the game one way their entire lives.
The referees are going to have a challenging time identifying infractions and enforcing this rule, which if called, results in a 15-yard penalty.
There is nothing that can be done now. 31 of 32 team owners voted for the change, and Roger Goodell was hell bent on seeing it through, anyway.
Two of the most vocal opponents have been Hall of Fame runner and analyst Marshall Faulk who called the rule “stupid” and Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte, who said…
The proposed rule change for running backs might be the most absurd suggestion of a rule change I’ve ever heard of,” Forte wrote. “In order to lower ur shoulder u obviously have to lower ur head. It’s a way of protecting ur self from a tackler and a way to break tackles.
Hear what Jerry Rice and Tedy Bruschi had to say about the rule change before it became official…
Sorry, Jerry, it passed.
Another change eliminates the “tuck rule,” which came to be in 1999 but became infamous as a result of THIS PLAY during the New England Patriots vs. Oakland Raiders AFC Playoff game at Foxboro Stadium in January 2002.
The league also announced that the 2014 Pro Bowl will be played, traditionally so, in Hawaii. There has been talk of doing away with the oft-boring game altogether.
If you’re missing football, you can get your fix when the 2013 NFL Draft happens April 25-27th with a live broadcast on the NFL Network.
