The New Blocking Below the Waist Rule When Tackling Rule

[Meathead]

can somebody explain it to me because that musta been while i was abucted by aliens

[clumping platelets]

I'm still wondering about the phantom holding call

[LtBillsFan66]

It was a bad call. If MH had blocked the blocker below the waist, then it would have been a penalty. But he was clearly going for the tackle. Bad call.

[Ingtar33]

it was a terrible call

i know what the rule is, and I can see how it was applied (so it is unlikely the refs will get smacked for it by the league) but I think common sense should have kept that flag in his pocket.

In essence the ref saw MH dive headfirst and hit the SIDE of the knees of one of the Steelers trying to block for the returner, and ASSUMED MH was going for the blocker not the returner.

A terrible call when you consider MH hit both the blocker and the returner at the same time, and anyone with an once of common sense could have figured he was simply trying to go low on the returner, not trying to chop the blocker.

One of those cases where the letter of the law was violated, but not the spirit. Which is why the league won’t do squat to the ref’s about it.

[chernobylwraiths]

bad holding call

bad call on the "blocking below the waist"

bad call on Rothlisbeger's TD

no call on "horsecollar" tackle on Alexander

I thought it was the Buffalo Seahawks out there

[clumping platelets]

Ingtar.....what about that holding call on Locklear a couple of plays before that....instead of 1st and goal at the Pitt 2, they have 1st & 20....next play is a sack and then the INT and terrible call on Hasselbeck..I did not think that was a hold

[clumping platelets]

Oh and as chern sez......that was NOT a TD ....he was stopped short

[LtBillsFan66]

I don't think the Big Ben TD was a bad call. Could have went either way and there was no evidence to overturn the call.

[Ingtar33]

i thought it was a hold, but then i only saw it once. the right side of the seattle line was outmatched all game and hurt them more then the crazy calls by the refs.

[Ingtar33]

btw: i agree with you CP, the ball did cross the goal-line, but ben did not have control of the ball when it did. when he regained control the ball was not over the line and he was down.

that said, there really wasn't enough video evidence to overturn the ruling on the field.

[AndreReed83]

The Steelers actually got called on this same penalty when they played the Colts on Monday Night Football this season. Except in that one, the Steelers player went low and through a blocker to make the tackle. I think you will see this rule changed up a little to allow the refs to use a little common sense when interpreting the call.

[LtBillsFan66]

I wonder why they didn't call off the penalty.

[Meathead]

In essence the ref saw MH dive headfirst and hit the SIDE of the knees of one of the Steelers trying to block for the returner, and ASSUMED MH was going for the blocker not the returner.

im going to have to watch it again because in my mind i remember about 10% contact on the blocker and 90% on the ball carrier

are you saying the rule says its illegal to contact a blocker below the knees while making a tackle? i dont think so but thats the only thing that would make sense, based on my impression of the tackle

iow the contact with the blocker appeared entirely incidental. maybe its like the qb helmet contact rule, even a pinky nail counts, but if so id like to know that

[Ingtar33]

no... the rule has nothing to do with "WHILE MAKING A TACKLE"

The rule is designed to prevent 'wedge breakers', or at least the defensive equivalent, from cutting the knees on an unaware blocker. In essence, it's to prevent knee injuries.

MH hit a Steelers blocker in the knees (actually he hit three Steelers in the knees, two blockers and the returner), while tossing his body in front of the returner. the ref threw the flag. This was clearly an attempt to tackle the returner, and I thought common sense would have dictated that the ref would pick up the flag.

Apparently common sense was in short supply tonight.

[Michael82]

bad holding call

bad call on the "blocking below the waist"

bad call on Rothlisbeger's TD

no call on "horsecollar" tackle on Alexander

I thought it was the Buffalo Seahawks out there
I knew that I wasn't the only one who saw the horsecollar tackle. Why the hell wasn't that called? It was obvious he tackled Alexander from the back of his neck on his jersey.