Navy/Middle Tennessee targeting

[StudyingFutureZebra]

Targeting has reared its ugly head again, this time a senior playing in his last game for Navy being ejected for a perfectly clean hit, that was delivered with the shoulder at the shoulder. Sorry that I'm not unbiased here like I should be, but this is ridiculous. The targeting rule is a joke, and the entire rules committee/head of officiating have proven themselves to be a three ring circus. This needs to disappear in the off-season, as even with the review, it's still ridiculous. Every game I've watched, every clean hit they've called and player they've ejected over something like this, I've begun to hate college football just a little more.

[TXMike]

Dadgum!! And I am sure they were so counting on you to get there and share your greatness with the rest of the college officiating world.   

Will be interesting to see if it was the same Navy player who was NOT ejected in the game prior to the Army game but should have been.

[Rulesman]

SFZ, take a look at your TV screen right now and tell me if you still think it's OK to lead with your head.

[StudyingFutureZebra]

That wasn't a helmet hit, that was shoulder to shoulder. Sorry that I don't drink Kool-Aid easily.

[Rulesman]

Sorry that I don't drink Kool-Aid easily.

Is that because of too many bell ringers?

[blindref757]

Officials have been encouraged to flag this and let replay sort it out all year long.  Officials and their bosses have been telling coaches to lower the target zone all year long.  If you are playing college football (especially DB) and you are still launching at the head like the kid did in this play, you cannot be surprised when you are ejected.

[Magician]

OK...let's get rid of the targeting rule and allow players to blow up players high and defenders to lead with their helmet.  This game will disappear faster than you can say boxing.

[StudyingFutureZebra]

Helmet hits were illegal before this, but you've fundamentally changed the game by banning shoulder hits as well. The ejection is the biggest problem, and then the fact that if replay shows that it's a completely legal hit, you're still getting a 15-yard penalty anyway. This Navy call shows just how much a train-wreck this rule is and how big a joke the NCAA has made of itself. It's ridiculous.

[SECFBR]

Crew could have DQ's several players in this game.   Glad they only DQ'd the targeting.   Again, common sense is prevailing in this game as well.   MT #33 is headed to the showers!!!

[blindref757]

He's been a "Problem Child" all day.  Glad to see #33 get what he should have.  This game should clean up nicely.  I'm sure the coach was telling the official on his side that #33 teaches Sunday School!!!

[StudyingFutureZebra]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/navy-wave-ryder-ejected-armed-forces-bowl-bogus-175819942--ncaaf.html

The other thing I hate about college football this year is how they're now handing out ejections for literally anything and everything. Come 2014, you'll probably get ejected for a false start.

[TXMike]

The Navy player brought it on himself on the targeting.  The receiver had elevated so the DB had to go up also to get as high as he did.  Why did he elevate at all ? !?!?!?!?  And the shoulder went right into that area that has been called the "neck area" all year long

[StudyingFutureZebra]

R.I.P college football. 1869-2013

[Fatman325]

I am not going to bite on this one. SFZ knows waaay more about football than the officials or the coaches on the rules committee. The best part is that he does it from his couch having never officiated a game in his life.

[Rulesman]

I am not going to bite on this one. SFZ knows waaay more about football than the officials or the coaches on the rules committee. The best part is that he does it from his couch having never officiated a game in his life.

+1

[StudyingFutureZebra]

Hey, when they're going to do stupid things, they're going to get called out on it. Pride comes before a fall.

[Magician]

R.I.P college football. 1869-2013

That will definitely be the case if we don't get players to change their behavior.  The new rule hasn't changed this player's behavior.  Wrap up and take a player to the ground.  Don't launch.  They made the penalty harsh to change behavior.  If the behavior doesn't change, the game will be shut down.

The next argument is usually the defender is trying to separate the receiver from the ball.  I saw several instances of that being done with a wrap-up hit so it's just a convenient excuse.

[Fatman325]

That's the great thing about America. Anyone with a keyboard, user name, and password can be an expert.

I am reminded of the dad of a high school basketball player who was very critical of the officials in our area. He was often on discussion boards calling out officials for bad calls. Once his son graduated he decided that he would try his hand at officiating. He showed up at our preseason clinic in reasonable shape, some rules knowledge, and decent judgement, but he couldn't blow the whistle and raise his hand at the same time. After trying over and over he said "this isn't as easy as I thought it would be". He lasted about a year and we haven't seen him since.

[StudyingFutureZebra]

We're reading the same rules, aren't we?

[Aussie-Zebra]

Thank you for reminding me that I'm glad my kids are now adults and not teenagers any more.

[JasonTX]

We're reading the same rules, aren't we?

I can remember what the date was but there was a time when helmet weren't used.  There was a ton of injuries and the US government threatened to get involved and they were going to outlaw the game altogether if the game wasn't cleaned up.  The result was they invented the helmet.  Injuries decreased.  Fast forward to today.  With the magnitude of concussions on the rise the government (senators etc.) have threatened to get involved and create laws that would drastically change what can be done.  The last thing the NCAA and all of its coaches want is for the government to get involved so the best thing they could do is create playing rules to keep the government at bay and mandate to all officials to be extremely strict on this rule.  If that's what it takes to keep the government out of this sport then that is great because we all have seen what happens when government puts its nose into places it doesn't belong.

It's been 20 years since I played but we were always taught to wrap up and contact the chest.  Our helmets were well fitted.  Sometime since then the game has took a bad turn and players started using their head as a weapon.  The so called, "kill shot" is what is ruining the game.  A good wrap up tackle is all that is needed and that is all we saw 20 years ago.  All that the coaches who make the rules are trying to do is put this thing back on the right track.

[Etref]

We're reading the same rules, aren't we?

Question is have you read the NCAA rules?

[StudyingFutureZebra]

I promised myself I'd never make a political comment on these boards, but I'll say it anyway. The current Congress had a hard enough time renaming a post office, so I'm pretty sure they'd never be able to or get around to banning football.

[williebe]

SFZ, hope you enjoy your middle school games, city championships and an occasional Friday night game. Because with that attitude that is ALL you will see.

[TXMike]

We're reading the same rules, aren't we?

Reading the rules and understanding the rules are 2 very different animals .  I once rea a book about how to fly a plane.   Would you want me to fly you someplace?