The Haslett Rule?
 

Published Tuesday, August 5, 2003

It's not the Haslett rule

The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett wants one thing understood - the new NFL rule against profanity while complaining to officials is not to be known as the Haslett rule.

Officials met with the Saints last week to go over new rules this year and one of them calls for more decorum on the sidelines.

"They have a rule that if the profanity gets out of hand or you show up an official or if you go out on the field as far as the numbers, then you can get a 15-yard penalty," Haslett said.

Haslett is one of the league's most vocal and volatile coaches. Cameras frequently show him cursing on the sidelines. He's received letters from fans scolding him for it and even his son has pointed it out to him.

"I've learned to put my game plan over my mouth," Haslett said.

The new rule is a good one, Haslett said. He'll just have to be careful.

But he doesn't think the measure should carry his name on it. He believes it should have three names on it, his, and those of Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden and former Jacksonville coach Tom Coughlin.

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TACKLING TACKLING: It drives Haslett crazy when his players miss tackles during the season. It's not one of the things they can do a lot of work on in training camp, however.

"You never see anyone tackle live like in the old days because of the salary cap," Haslett said. "We don't do a lot of drills that have live tackling. We will have one tonight, but you don't have a lot of them because of the injury factor. If you lose one or two players, then it kind of screws your team up."

Making the tackle or missing it can be the difference between a good season or a bad one, Haslett said.

"If you have a pretty good tackling football team, then you probably have a pretty good defense and special teams," Haslett said. "The thing that bothers me most about the NFL, as the season wears on the tackling becomes poor."

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HOT DAYS: The Saints did not get a break on the weather at Tuesday morning's practice. The clouds were few and far between, the breeze was light and intermittent, and the temperature rose to 88 degrees by the time practice was over at 11 a.m. The weather service said that with the humidity, that felt like 106.





http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d.../APS/308050934

The Haslett Rule?
 

Its the Cowher rule. Bill Cowher has done it since he began coaching. Haslett learned it from Cowher, but its Cowher\'s rule none the less.

Look for the \"no accidental spitting in the official\'s face\" rule to follow!

The Haslett Rule?
 

And Cowher learned it from Schottenheimer.....