Crackback Block
 

One particular play that annoyed me so much yesterday was the flag for this. I've re-watched the play like 50 times, I still don't understand. Crackback blocks are only illegal if they are low and below the waist. It's like they just called something obscure to negate the play. The other guy literally ran back into him. Not only is there no illegal crackback block, it's not even close.

Re: Crackback Block
 

It was a perfect block.

The one that annoyed me most was when Robert Woods ran into Eli Apple and pushed off, then we got called for illegal contact...

Re: Crackback Block
 

Oh god yes, that annoyed me too. Such ridiculous bs.

Re: Crackback Block
 

That call in particular was egregious. I saw it exactly how you did too.

Re: Crackback Block
 

On the crack back block. I haven’t done research. Was it illegal

Re: Crackback Block
 

There was nothing close to being illegal on that play. The only way it'd been illegal is if our player would have gone low below the waist or went up high to the head or neck area. This didn't happen; heck the contact was mostly initiated by the Rams player and nothing was low. An incredibly bad call.

It is illegal for a player that spread wide near the sidelines to come back in and run toward the ball and hit a player below the waist or up high to the head or neck area to create space. We didn't do anything like that. The contact was mainly initiated by the other guy, he ran into the block.

Re: Crackback Block
 

How about the push to the back on the Gurley TD following that call? LA #81 pushed Lattimore from behind to allow Gurley run to the pylon. I don't know if I know the rules on that kind of a play, but I thought putting your hands on the numbers on the back of the jersey was illegal in blocking?

Re: Crackback Block
 

Ok here is where I think its confusing everyone...

-Chop block is the one that is below the waist.

-Crackback Block is where you have a Defensive player going in one direction pursuant to the ball carrier and an offensive player is usually wide and lays that defender as if sealing the edge and the defender has no idea its coming. Its a way of protecting the defender... This was started back when Warren Sapp laid out a punter many years ago. They have been calling this penalty in a lot of games and its consistent with other games. I recall seeing one in a Giants game not that long ago.
you can hold him up and you can get in his way but you can't deck him because he is a defenseless player in a way.

Re: Crackback Block
 

A crackback block is not illegal. A high or low crackback block is. The crackback block was made into a defenseless position around 2012. Yes he is in a defenseless position, but for it to be an illegal hit has to be high or low. Just hitting a player in defenseless position is never really illegal. Leading with the crown of the helmet, going helmet to helmet, or going below the waist is.

A chop block is a scissors block where one player goes high and one player goes low. The penalty is usually called on the second player to engage.

Chop blocks most of the time occur by the offensive lineman. There is actually a lot of helmet to helmet contact that occurs on the line, and isn't illegal. Helmet to helmet isn't always illegal, just on players in defenseless positions. Chopblocks have nothing to do with defenseless position, it's just when someone goes high and someone else goes low simultaneously.

Re: Crackback Block
 

That is the result of the recent rule change. It opened the Pandora's box of them questioning what is a catch and what is interference.

In the Steelers/Seahags game yesterday, Pete Carroll challenged a non-call which clearly was not interference whatsoever, but looked like it when reviewed in slow motion and he won the challenge.

That's what I meant back during the summer when I said that rule change would lead to bad results. I get it that everyone was angry over the non-call in the NFC title game, but the rule change was as much of an over-reaction as the Vikings wanting the overtime rules changed after we beat them in 2009.

Re: Crackback Block
 

Lets not guess about it:

ARTICLE 6. CRACKBACK BLOCK

All Crackback Blocks are illegal. It is a Crackback Block if the following conditions are fulfilled:

The block occurs within an area five yards on either side of the line of scrimmage, including within close-line play, by an offensive player who is moving toward the position from which the ball was snapped; and

(a) the offensive player was in a set position and aligned more than two yards outside an offensive tackle (flexed) when the ball was snapped; or
(b) the offensive player was in a backfield position when the ball was snapped and moved to a position more than two yards outside an offensive tackle; or
(c) the offensive player was in a backfield position and in motion when the ball was snapped.

Note: If there is a broken play, significantly changing the original direction, the crackback block is legal. When the change in direction is the result of a designed play (reverse), the restriction remains in effect.

The following is prohibited against a player who is the recipient of a Crackback Block:

(a) Contacting him below the waist;
(b) forcibly hitting his head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck;
(c) lowering the head and making forcible contact with any part of the helmet against any part of the defensive player’s body; or
(d) illegally launching into him. It is an illegal launch if a player (i) leaves both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into his opponent, and (ii) uses any part of his helmet to initiate forcible contact against any part of his opponent’s body. (This does not apply to contact against a runner, unless the runner is still considered to be a defenseless player, as defined in Article 9.)

Note: A player who initiates contact against such an opponent is responsible for avoiding an illegal act. A standard of strict liability applies for any contact against an opponent, even if his body position is in motion, and irrespective of any acts by him, such as ducking his head or curling up his body in anticipation of contact.

Penalty: For a crackback block: Loss of 15 yards.

https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules...rackback-block

Re: Crackback Block
 

Hmm, is that a recent change.. it wasn't that way a few years ago. I know in 2017 they made crackback blocks from guys in motion illegal. The rule still made crackback blocks that were not high or low legal though. It must be a new rule this year.

Re: Crackback Block
 

****. Yea they changed it in this off-season. That is a dumb change. Even the wording is dumb. What constitutes a broken play? Is that at the discretion of the official?

Re: Crackback Block
 

No mention of them hitting Cook in a defenseless position that was also egregious.

Re: Crackback Block
 

PLAYERS IN A DEFENSELESS POSTURE

It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture.

Players in a defenseless posture are:
A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass (passing posture)
A receiver attempting to catch a pass who has not had time to clearly become a runner. If the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player
The intended receiver of a pass in the action during and immediately following an interception or potential interception. If the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player.
Note: Violations of this provision will be enforced after the interception, and the intercepting team will maintain possession.

A runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped
A kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air
A player on the ground
A kicker/punter during the kick or during the return (Also see Article 6(h) for additional restrictions against a kicker/punter)
A quarterback at any time after a change of possession (Also see Article 9(f) for additional restrictions against a quarterback after a change of possession)
A player who receives a “blindside” block when the path of the offensive blocker is toward or parallel to his own end line.
A player who is protected from an illegal crackback block (see Article 2)
The offensive player who attempts a snap during a Field Goal attempt or a Try Kick
Prohibited contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture is:
forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenselessplayer by encircling or grasping him
lowering the head and making forcible contact with the crown or ”hairline” parts of the helmet against any part of the defenselessplayer’s body
illegally launching into a defenseless opponent. It is an illegal launch if a player (i) leaves both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into his opponent, and (ii) uses any part of his helmet to initiate forcible contact against any part of his opponent’s body. (This does not apply to contact against a runner, unless the runner is still considered to be a defenseless player, as defined in Article 7.)

Re: Crackback Block
 

No one mention where one ram player yanked off and threw the helmet during 1 play and not a flag anywhere for it?