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More rules force refs to call games closer
By Pat Mitsch, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, August 8, 2009
[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_637402.html"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 37402.html[/url]
Hines Ward might not make the rules, but he inspired one. And it's helping to gray at least one National Football League official's hair.
Three current NFL officials and former official Red Cashion visited Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe on Friday to discuss seven rules changes for the 2009 season, many of which involve protecting player safety, thus requiring more, often-stressful judgment calls from officials.
"I used to have black hair," said 18-year line judge Jeff Bergman, pointing to a considerably lighter scalp. "They keep adding more and more judgment into the game."
The rule change Ward helped to inspire makes illegal a blindside block made by a player if the initial contact is made by the helmet, forearm or shoulder to the opponent's head or neck area when the blocker is moving back toward his own end zone.
The change was nicknamed the "Hines Ward Rule" after the Steelers receiver threw a block similar to the above description that broke the jaw of Cincinnati rookie linebacker Keith Rivers this past season. The new rule, following the pattern of several other rules changes, is designed to protect defenseless players from serious injury.
"The head and neck area we're trying to protect," said Western Pa. native Tony Steratore, an NFL back judge and one of the officials at St. Vincent yesterday. "It's just as important to the guy delivering the hit. He's at risk of injury a lot more if leading with helmet."
Ward, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, would receive a 15-yard penalty for the same hit this season, which last year went unpenalized. Similarly, another of the rule changes prohibits initial contact by a defender's helmet, shoulder or forearm to the head or neck area of a defenseless receiver catching or attempting to catch a pass.
Another of the offseason changes disallows a kickoff-return blocking wedge of more than two players. Another says that a kickoff team must have at least three players outside each hash mark, one of which must be outside the numbers.
Further, a point of emphasis among officials this year will be to watch defenders falling into players at or below the knee, and to penalize those defenders who do not make a "swiping" motion to signify intent to tackle and not harm.
All of the above are intended to prevent injury, but most require a greater deal of ruling by officials.
"The primary issue might not be judgment as much as it is player safety," said referee Gene Steratore, the third current official at yesterday's conference. "That's what makes our job what it is."
Another rule change inspired by judgment is one that expands reviewable plays to include loose balls that hit the sideline and quarterback passes and fumbles when the ruling on the field is an incomplete pass. It's a change spawned by referee Ed Hochuli's blown call on a Jay Cutler fumble against San Diego this past year, costing the Chargers the game.
Also, there will be no re-kicks on illegal onside kicks, and the game clock will now start on a "ready" signal after fumbles and backward passes go out of bounds.
By Pat Mitsch, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, August 8, 2009
[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_637402.html"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 37402.html[/url]
Hines Ward might not make the rules, but he inspired one. And it's helping to gray at least one National Football League official's hair.
Three current NFL officials and former official Red Cashion visited Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe on Friday to discuss seven rules changes for the 2009 season, many of which involve protecting player safety, thus requiring more, often-stressful judgment calls from officials.
"I used to have black hair," said 18-year line judge Jeff Bergman, pointing to a considerably lighter scalp. "They keep adding more and more judgment into the game."
The rule change Ward helped to inspire makes illegal a blindside block made by a player if the initial contact is made by the helmet, forearm or shoulder to the opponent's head or neck area when the blocker is moving back toward his own end zone.
The change was nicknamed the "Hines Ward Rule" after the Steelers receiver threw a block similar to the above description that broke the jaw of Cincinnati rookie linebacker Keith Rivers this past season. The new rule, following the pattern of several other rules changes, is designed to protect defenseless players from serious injury.
"The head and neck area we're trying to protect," said Western Pa. native Tony Steratore, an NFL back judge and one of the officials at St. Vincent yesterday. "It's just as important to the guy delivering the hit. He's at risk of injury a lot more if leading with helmet."
Ward, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, would receive a 15-yard penalty for the same hit this season, which last year went unpenalized. Similarly, another of the rule changes prohibits initial contact by a defender's helmet, shoulder or forearm to the head or neck area of a defenseless receiver catching or attempting to catch a pass.
Another of the offseason changes disallows a kickoff-return blocking wedge of more than two players. Another says that a kickoff team must have at least three players outside each hash mark, one of which must be outside the numbers.
Further, a point of emphasis among officials this year will be to watch defenders falling into players at or below the knee, and to penalize those defenders who do not make a "swiping" motion to signify intent to tackle and not harm.
All of the above are intended to prevent injury, but most require a greater deal of ruling by officials.
"The primary issue might not be judgment as much as it is player safety," said referee Gene Steratore, the third current official at yesterday's conference. "That's what makes our job what it is."
Another rule change inspired by judgment is one that expands reviewable plays to include loose balls that hit the sideline and quarterback passes and fumbles when the ruling on the field is an incomplete pass. It's a change spawned by referee Ed Hochuli's blown call on a Jay Cutler fumble against San Diego this past year, costing the Chargers the game.
Also, there will be no re-kicks on illegal onside kicks, and the game clock will now start on a "ready" signal after fumbles and backward passes go out of bounds.
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