Rogers Redding recently responded to spome questions regarding blocking below the waist.
1) 9-1-6-a-1 prohibits a Team A player from blocking below the waist toward his own goal line when he is beyond the neutral zone. The rule says, “…who is beyond the neutral zone...” That would seem to mean that a player that goes downfield (beyond the NZ), then returns behind the NZ, is allowed to block below the waist toward his own goal line (and the block complies with all other blocking-below-the-waist rules). Is that correct?
RR: Yes on #1.
2) 9-1-6-a-3 prohibits a Team A “restricted” player from blocking below the waist (in any direction) within the tackle box. By existing definition, the tackle box disintegrates when the ball leaves it (for running-into / roughing-the-kicker and intentional grounding purposes). Does that mean that a “restricted” A player would be allowed to block below the waist within the tackle box after the ball has left it?
RR: On #2, yes, but then the adjacent-sideline rule would kick in. Once the TB has disintegrated the restricted player could block below the waist N-S and toward his adjacent sideline, but not away from his adjacent sideline.
