Adjusting To The New Rules
August 3rd, 2018
Sees benefits of new tackling rules.
Depending who you talk to in the NFL, the new tackling rules passed in the offseason will either be the best thing to keep players on the field and limit potential life-long ailments, or will fundamentally ruin the game of football as we know it.
It seems Bucs hard-hitting linebacker Kwon Alexander is somewhere in-between on the ends of the spectrum of the new rules.
When the lowering-the-head penalty was passed, Alexander took to social media and made his feelings known he thought this was a load of fresh cattle fertilizer. Joe spoke with Alexander after practice today and he has somewhat softened his stance.
After going through an orientation of the new rule this week conducted by NFL officials at One Buc Palace, Alexander sees the light, sort of, as to why the rule will be implemented.
Doesn’t mean he likes it, but he understands why the NFL went this route.
“You just have to just have to keep up,” Alexander said. “If you keep your head up you should be fine. Keep your head up and run your feet you should be fine.
“Yeah, I don’t like, you know me. But you have to do what you have to do to help keep all the players healthy and safe. Just do what the rules say.”
We will see how long it takes for players to adjust. Remember, they have been playing a certain way all their lives and now in a handful of weeks will they be able to change on a dime? That might be a stretch.
As Joe has written, this could be chaos. We are expecting officials who didn’t know what a catch is to determine what is a tackle now?
To put a positive spin on this, at least tackling fundamentals should improve.
August 3rd, 2018 at 2:06 pm
Good players will adjust. The ones that can’t will be out of the NFL. Simple as that.
August 3rd, 2018 at 2:57 pm
changing the heads position may cause more chest collisions, thus perhaps making it necessary to modify the shoulder pads with better deflection technology to be relocated on the chest plates
August 3rd, 2018 at 3:12 pm
Should put a beeper on helmets like we have on our rear bumpers…..as the helmet gets closer to contact….it beeps more often.
August 3rd, 2018 at 3:58 pm
This rule seems too ambiguous.. The college rule isn’t perfect but at least they review the play to see if there was deliberate targeting. I am all for kicking
a player out of the game for deliberately targeting a defenseless player.
August 3rd, 2018 at 6:01 pm
Take the helmets off lime in Rugby. Problem solved.
Just another rule to allow refs to dictate who wins and losses with penalties.
I’ve got a feeling this season is going to be a complete joke
August 3rd, 2018 at 6:25 pm
Huge difference between “targeting a defenseless player” and “no helmet contact to any part of the body”.
Have no idea what the NFL is thinking – but I guarantee you the fan backlash from this is going to be HUUUUUGE.
I don’t think hardly anyone would have a problem with eliminating “spearing” type plays from the game. But incidental helmet contact like we saw on a couple plays last night being flagged as “unnecessary roughness” is just total and utter BS!!
What is a CB supposed to do when a receiver is up in the air – higher than the defender and he has to tackle him? There’s no way you can make a tackle like that without some part of your helmet making contact. Its ridiculous the way this rule is written.
Its either going to be flag city this year if they go by the letter of the law – or worse – this will be called a bit more “selectively” and will become a huge determiner of who wins and loses certain games – thus very much harming the perceived “integrity” of the entire league.
Stupid!! Just Stupid….
August 3rd, 2018 at 6:59 pm
Considering the different ways Refs interpret rules, There will be huge variation in how the rule is enforced. Coaches will need 2 extra targeting challenges a game
to sort this mess out. No way they can enforce this rule fairly without challenges and booth reviews. If they make these calls without the benefit of a challenge
it will make a mockery of the game.Oh wait, the rule will do that all by itself.
August 3rd, 2018 at 7:31 pm
I suspect Kwon will change his opinion with the first penalty called against him with this helmet contact rule.
August 3rd, 2018 at 7:38 pm
‘BucEmUp Says:
August 3rd, 2018 at 6:01 pm
Take the helmets off lime in Rugby. Problem solved.’
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They know how to tackle properly. Don’t know why a few Rugby players aren’t at practice giving tips to the defense on how to tackle.
August 3rd, 2018 at 9:01 pm
I suspect this is very much a work in progress. The Refs are working it out…now in the training camps around the league…then they’ll start doing the real work in the preseason. Hopefully by the 4th game they’ll have it figured out.
To me the most important part of any rule is interpretation and consistency. The rule must be interpreted consistently by all the officials. No surprises or confusion.
August 4th, 2018 at 11:01 am
Pretty soon tackling of any kind will be a penalty. The name of the game will be changed to flagball! Not because it will be flag football. There will just be so many flags tossed for each play it will become unbearable to watch. I think I’ll stick with a sport that still lets Men (somewhat) handle things like men. Hockey