Oh boy, the NFL may have just changed everything. Shortly after fixing their broken catch rule, the league passed a separate rule today that makes all helmet to helmet contact illegal with the possibility of ejection. Here’s the official word from NFL PR Man Brian McCarthy.
Playing Rule Article 8: It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent. The player may be disqualified. Applies to any player anywhere on the field. The player may be disqualified.
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) March 27, 2018
More on the rule change.
The rule that NFL owners passed today says lowering the head to initiate contact with the head is a penalty. Rich McKay live now on @nflnetwork
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 27, 2018
McKay says the new rule is a “pretty significant change”. It’s not situational protection. Lowering helmet too dangerous for both players involved. “We felt it was time” to make the change based on data, talking to doctors, etc.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 27, 2018
To recap. Dropping your head and making contact with someone else’s is now a penalty across the board. Doesn’t matter the position, doesn’t matter the context, no longer does a player have to be considered “defenseless” to draw a flag.
The league says they’re still working on exactly how the rule will work, though that was probably something they should’ve done before passing the rule in the first place. The rule was created by the competition committee, which Mike Tomlin is part of, according to the league’s official document.
It’s fair to argue the rule is well-intentioned. No one wants to see these vicious type of hits happen. But how well will the NFL legislate it? McCarthy says these penalties “may” result in ejection. What qualifies as an ejection? That, so far, seems incredibly subjective. You could compare this rule change to college football’s targeting system, which has led to plenty of controversy and outrage.
It may have been Ryan Shazier’s hit on Josh Malone, the one that left Shazier paralyzed, as the catalyst for the rule change. That hit would now be deemed illegal.
The hit that Steelers’ LB Ryan Shazier delivered to Bengals’ WR Josh Malone last season would be illegal in NFL this season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 27, 2018
But how much further does it go? A running back lowering his helmet? Is that a penalty? A defensive linemen catching the helmet of a back in the middle of a tackle? A quarterback sneak, which basically by definition involves the QB lowering his helmet into everyone else’s.
The NFL also took out the “flagrant” language in its assessment for ejection. Meaning, a penalty doesn’t have to be flagrant to get a player tossed. The league doesn’t indicate what has to happen to lead to an ejection, however.
From the NFL's announcement of the lowering the head rule: no longer required to be "flagrant" in order to be an ejectable offense. pic.twitter.com/j1SAzNM0HY
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) March 27, 2018
With all the trouble the NFL has had policing rule changes, communicating them effectively, and calling them consistently, this is shaping up to be a mess in 2018. Buckle up.
