Quote Originally Posted by IndyBison View Post
I can't imagine there was ever a time where a blocker could lower his head to hit an opponent in the head with the crown of his helmet regardless of whether or not he saw it coming. I wasn't officiating when you played, but if you got that information from your coaches there is a chance it wasn't correct. I hear coaches and players say today you can't have a block in the back if you get your head in front of the defender which has nothing to do with the rule.

With all the head injury issues rules makers have become much smarter on blind side hits, especially blow up hits. Not only could they cause head injuries on the hit or the defender's head hitting the turf. But blows to the body can cause internal organ injury. We had a milder hit of a kid on a similar play a few years ago. Luckily the trainers recognized something wasn't right so they took him to the hospital. It may have saved his life as his spleen had split in half. He was in the hospital for 8 days!

It is very easy for a blocker to take a defender out of the play on plays like this without jeopardizing taking him out of the game or more. Football is already a collision sport that is violent. Unnecessary violence should be removed when possible. Or we will lose this game entirely.
They play is so fast and comes into the screen so late I couldn't see if he was hitting with the crown of his helmet.....but I'll take your word for it.

As for "if your head is in front, you can't have a block in the back", that's exactly what our coaches taught us. I'm not sure how everyone's understanding ended up so much different than the rules. It's really is a mystery (seriously) to me.