NFL to study hits to knees

[Texas Ace]

NEW YORK -- The NFL will keep a close eye on hits to the knees of defenseless players this season, with the possibility of extending the rules protecting such players.

If the league's competition committee finds enough evidence this season that hits to the knees are "becoming a problem," it could take action, chief of football operations Ray Anderson told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The committee could make a recommendation to the owners next March to prohibit direct hits to the knees of defenseless players. The owners would then vote on such a change.

"We are always looking at plays that may elevate themselves and we do include in that category hits on defenseless players," Anderson said. "And certainly the hits to knees to players who have not had the opportunity to protect themselves or are not looking in the direction of where the hit comes from -- we have had a couple hits whereby a player was hit below [or at] the knees."

Currently, hits to the head and neck of defenseless players are banned. But two direct hits to the knee in preseason games that injured Miami tight end Dustin Keller (by Texans rookie D.J. Swearinger) and Minnesota defensive tackle Kevin Williams (on low block by 49ers guard Joe Looney) have drawn complaints from some players.

Keller is out for the season with several torn ligaments. Williams has a hyperextended knee.

Anderson said the league will monitor plays during the season, study the data when the competition committee begins meeting after the season and see whether such hits to the knees are an "aberration or becoming a problem."

"This issue has not directly come up," Anderson added. "But when we have had discussions when making the head and neck area completely off-limits to players, there was some concern players might lower their targets and might include knees and below. We will look at that going forward."

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What a fricking joke this league has and is becoming.

So you can't hit high, and now you won't be able to hit low. Next thing you know, it'll be a strike zone type of defined area where you'll be allowed to hit someone.

Hit someone too hard in the midsection and they get a bruised lung? Time to turn it into flag football!

 

[Rev]

Can't tackle high and can't tackle low? I bet Riggins, Campbell, Okoye, etc.... wished they played now.

 

[Clay_Allison]

Can't tackle high and can't tackle low? I bet Riggins, Campbell, Okoye, etc.... wished they played now.

Running backs can't lower their heads in the open field. They'd be out of a job.

 

[1bigfan13]

Hit someone too hard in the midsection and they get a bruised lung? Time to turn it into flag football!

They are already starting to do that.

This preseason I've seen a couple of personal foul penalties called just because the player was hit too hard.

The players were hit hard and within the rulebook but because the players who were hit were slow getting up and because the hit looked violent the refs felt compelled to throw the flag.

You could tell the only reason they threw the flags was because the player who was hit was hurt because the flags came out extremely late. If the players had hopped up after being hit the refs would have allowed it because the hits were legal, but since everyone is going overboard with player safety, refs have to cover their own ass by calling the penalty even if the hit was 100% legal and within the rules.

 

[Clay_Allison]

They are already starting to do that.

This preseason I've seen a couple of personal foul penalties called just because the player was hit too hard.

The players were hit hard and within the rulebook but because the players who were hit were slow getting up and the because the hit looked violent the refs felt compelled to throw the flag.

You could tell that the only reason they threw the flags is because the player who got hit was hurt because the flags came out extremely late. If the players had hopped up after being hit the refs would have allowed it because they the hits were legal, but since everyone is going overboard with player safety, refs have to cover their own ass by calling the penalty even if the hit was 100% legal and within the rules.

This will inevitably lead to guys pretending to be hurt to draw the flag. We're making football into futbol.