RR notes BBW: ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION OF THE TACKLE BOX

[linejudge]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFICIATING, LLC

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION OF THE TACKLE BOX

Training Video #1 on Blocking Below the Waist has generated some questions about the Tackle Box, in regard to backs being restricted in their legality to block below the waist. The video is intended to give general guidelines about the practical aspects of officiating the rule, and is not intended to always locate the Tackle Box according to the position of the offensive tackle. The Tackle Box is defined (Rule 2-34) as centered on the snapper and extending five yards to each side. In many "normal" splits (see below) this will place the offensive tackle within the Tackle Box. However, there will often be tight alignments in which the tight end will be within five yards of the snapper and hence inside the Tackle Box. In such alignments a back completely behind the tight end would be unrestricted as regards blocking below the waist.

By “normal” splits we mean a formation with no more than two feet between adjacent offensive linemen. This would locate the tight end position within the tackle box. Thus a back completely inside or directly behind the tight end position would be unrestricted with regard to legally blocking below the waist.

Rogers Redding
CFO National Coordinator of Officials

July 27, 2011

[TXMike]

I was not confused...until now.  I had always thought of the tackle box as  using the "normal tackle position" and thought of that as being within 5 yards of the snapper.This memo says that if the alignment is "tight" then the TE is within 5 yards so tackle box includes him.  But then it says by "normal" splits, the TE  is in the tackle box also.   Say what??

[El Macman]

Not sure I'm gonna beat this up any more. But the ambiguities keep coming. Does "directly behind the tight end mean he 'could' have a shoulder or leg outside the tight end? I don't know. I think I'm just gonna go with the majority of his body not outside the tight end, and forget about it.

[justaLJ]

So here's my take...a block that was illegal last year, is legal this year.  Try this crude graphic:

|   O O X
|O

The vertical lines represent 5 yards from the snapper. Last year, if the wing back in the position shown (a back outside the 'normal' tackle position) blocked low toward the ball, it was a foul. This year, no foul.

[TXMike]

The memo has been tweaked.  Now it makes more sense:

COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFICIATING, LLC
BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION OF THE TACKLE BOX
The training video on Blocking Below the Waist has generated some questions about the Tackle Box, in regard to backs being restricted in their legality to block below the waist. The video is intended to give general guidelines about the practical aspects of officiating the rule, and is not intended to always locate the Tackle Box according to the position of the offensive tackle. The Tackle Box is defined (Rule 2-34) as centered on the snapper and extending five yards to each side. In many "normal" splits this will place the offensive tackle within the Tackle Box. However, there will often be tight alignments in which the tight end will be within five yards of the snapper and hence inside the Tackle Box. In such alignments a back completely behind the tight end would be unrestricted as regards blocking below the waist.
Tighter splits would mean a formation with no more than two feet between adjacent offensive linemen. This would locate the tight end position within the tackle box. Thus a back completely inside or directly behind the tight end position would be unrestricted with regard to legally blocking below the waist.
Rogers Redding
CFO National Coordinator of Officials
July 28, 2011

[El Macman]

Yeah. How do you define "normal?" That's why they changed it from "normal splits" to "Tighter splits." Don't blame 'em.
If the back clearly has a significant portion of his person - like a leg and and arm - outside the outside arm of the TE (in a "tighter split"), then I'll judge the back as being restricted.