Targeting……

[NawlBennyDawg]

This was called targeting on Rutgers. Ejected for making a perfect play.

 

[DerHntr]

Complete BS. Heck of a play. They should hang up the whistle after that.

 

[DAWGSANDSAINTS]

You have to have someone with some semblance of competence to review these calls.
That is a total 17-ing BS call.
If I’m coaching Rutgers today, I’m getting ejected and fined afterwards for my postgame rant on the incompetence of those refs and replay booth personnel for allowing that to stand.

 

[8dog]

What an overly dramatic tweet.

 

[POTUS]

What an overly dramatic tweet.

I’m not sure you can be overly dramatic about someone making an absolutely text book tackle and being penalized and ejected for it. Other than fixing a game, that’s about as egregious as it gets.

 

[Seinfeld]

The hypocrisy surrounding the entire situation just kills me. The entire thing is supposed to be about player safety, right? Well, isn’t a face mask penalty a matter of player safety? If yes, then why is it that when an entire officiating crew somehow misses a blatant face mask(like at the beginning of the UT/A&M game), the booth isn’t able to call that one in?

Let’s all be honest with ourselves. Everything about targeting rules and the way they’re being handled is 10% safety and 90% lawsuit protection

 

[Rupert Jenkins]

Yeah I woulda got fined over that sh*t.

 

[NawlBennyDawg]

The hypocrisy surrounding the entire situation just kills me. The entire thing is supposed to be about player safety, right? Well, isn’t a face mask penalty a matter of player safety? If yes, then why is it that when an entire officiating crew somehow misses a blatant face mask(like at the beginning of the UT/A&M game), the booth isn’t able to call that one in?

Let’s all be honest with ourselves. Everything about targeting rules and the way they’re being handled is 10% safety and 90% lawsuit protection

From USA Today:

"The NCAA’s targeting rule prohibits players from initiating forcible contact against an opponent that 'goes beyond making a legal tackle or a legal block or playing the ball,' according to the rulebook.

That could mean leading with the crown of the helmet while making forcible contact.

Starting with the 2022 season, the rulebook’s definition of 'crown of the helmet' was updated to more precisely focus on the top of the helmet and is now defined as 'the top segment of the helmet; namely, the circular area defined by a 6-inch radius from the apex (top) of the helmet.'

If a player leads with the crown of his helmet, it’s targeting whether or not the player is defenseless."

In other words, if your head is slightly pointed down while making a textbook tackle on a ballcarrier, that's targeting. Guys like Lawrence Taylor and Ronnie Lott would be banished from playing the game forever if they played under these rules back then.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

The rule and its enforcement are as clear as mud. It usually works in the obvious cases. They still overuse it sometimes, and it feels like they are trying to "control" the game. I don't think they are trying to do so. They can radically change the play of one team.

While we are talking about officiating, is anyone else annoyed with the announcing crew, once a questionable call is made, immediately going to their "Rulez expert" to champion the refs... even with subjective calls? Most of the time it is a "former" official to rule on a present-day official. Just sort of like active asking a former CPA to talk about today's tax problems

 

[POTUS]

If the player being hit has his facemask toward the ground or crouches at all, then targeting should be off the board. He is not defenseless. He is, in fact, defending himself with his very body position. A lot of these targeting calls are caused by the player being tackled.

 

[The Peeper]

This was called targeting on Rutgers. Ejected for making a perfect play.

As opposed to this one:

Targeting Ejected:

 

[8dog]

If the player being hit has his facemask toward the ground or crouches at all, then targeting should be off the board. He is not defenseless. He is, in fact, defending himself with his very body position. A lot of these targeting calls are caused by the player being tackled.

Players carrying the ball are not considered defenseless. Also the crown of the helmet rule is meant to protect the defender

 

[Dawgzilla2]

If y'all want the rule changed, I understand, but that was clearly targeting. He initiated contact with the crown of his helmet and hit the RB in the head. The "crown of the helmet" part of the rule is intended to protect the defender, while the head to head contact part protects both players.

Just keep your eyes up.

 

[Ghostman]

Part of the wussification of 'merica

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Looked like a football play to me. If you can't hang, wear a dress.

 

[paindonthurt]

If the player being hit has his facemask toward the ground or crouches at all, then targeting should be off the board. He is not defenseless. He is, in fact, defending himself with his very body position. A lot of these targeting calls are caused by the player being tackled.

This is the crazy part. Some times targeting is called when the offensive player is being the aggressor with his helmet.

if I’m trying to tackle you and you move your helmet into a position that my helmet hits your helmet, how can I prevent that other than just getting out of the way?

 

[paindonthurt]

If y'all want the rule changed, I understand, but that was clearly targeting. He initiated contact with the crown of his helmet and hit the RB in the head. The "crown of the helmet" part of the rule is intended to protect the defender, while the head to head contact part protects both players.

Just keep your eyes up.

You can keep your eyes up and hit someone with your helmet.

And if the ball carrier changes the position of his head height how can I guess or speculate where he might choose to move his head?

 

[Dawgtruc]

It’s almost to the point you gotta go low and risk taking someone’s knee out instead.

 

[Dawgzilla2]

You can keep your eyes up and hit someone with your helmet.

And if the ball carrier changes the position of his head height how can I guess or speculate where he might choose to move his head?

You can't initiate contact with the crown of your helmet if you keep your eyes up. Don't lead with your helmet.

A ball carrier is not a defenseless player unless he is already in the grasp of a defender. If a defender hits a ball carrier in the head, that alone is not targeting. There must be other indicators.

When in doubt, it is targeting.

The rule is far from perfect. I was just saying the rule was properly applied in this instance. There should at least be ways for a player to get back on the field if his conduct was not egregious.

 

[L4Dawg]

That was clearly targeting according to the rule. I don't like the rule but it is what it is.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

It’s almost to the point you gotta go low and risk taking someone’s knee out instead.

I would almost rather see the head shots rather than the knee shots.

I do like the idea of keeping your head up. It prevents both.

 

[paindonthurt]

You can't initiate contact with the crown of your helmet if you keep your eyes up. Don't lead with your helmet.

A ball carrier is not a defenseless player unless he is already in the grasp of a defender. If a defender hits a ball carrier in the head, that alone is not targeting. There must be other indicators.

When in doubt, it is targeting.

The rule is far from perfect. I was just saying the rule was properly applied in this instance. There should at least be ways for a player to get back on the field if his conduct was not egregious.

A - read the “rule” again. It applies to defenseless and non defenseless

B - a 6 inch radius is 12 inches in diameter. You can easily hit in a 12 inch diameter with your eyes up and looking forward.

if the rule was properly applied in that place, then the rule should be tossed out immediately and completely scrapped.