Report: NFL considering eliminating chop blocks

[3Rivers]

Report: NFL's competition committee mulls eliminating the chop block

Report: NFL's competition committee mulls eliminating the chop block
By Jared Dubin | Staff Writer
February 29, 2016 2:54 pm ET

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One of the most common plays in football may be going away for good. According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NFL's competition committee is considering a rule change that would eliminate the chop block as soon as the 2016 season.

Big ramifications: NFL's competition committee considering a rule that would eliminate the chop block for 2016 season, per league sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 29, 2016
A chop block is when one blocker is engaged with a defender up high while another blocker hits the defender below the waist. Some of these have already been outlawed. As of now, it's only legal on running plays when:

• The blockers were aligned next to each other on the line of scrimmage
• The blockers were lined up anywhere on the line and the flow of the play is towards the block or
• The cut blocker was aligned in the backfield and the chop block took place outside the original tight end position

Eliminating it altogether would presumably be sold as part of the league's efforts to increase player safety. Chop blocks put defensive players in danger of lower leg injuries, the type the NFL tried to eliminate in order to protect quarterbacks when it outlawed hits below the knee with the so-called Tom Brady rule. It seems only fair that defensive players get the same protections as offensive players, especially considering the rapidly shrinking area of the body which defensive players are allowed to hit in the open field.

Eliminating the chop block, though, could bring the recent offensive line struggles the league has been having even more into the forefront. Taking away another avenue for teams to double defenders would leave blockers responsible for their own man one-on-one more often, which could lead to even more inefficiency in the running game. That would, in turn, likely lead to even more passing plays, which could goose scoring but also put quarterbacks and receivers at risk for potential injury more often.

 

[David_TheMan]

about damn time.

 

[PremierDaTruth]

Broncos ain't winning another Super Bowl now

 

[duckbutta]

Doesn't matter :smugzach:

 

[#StarkSet]

Bout fukking time

 

[Ghostface Trillah]

Should've been gone a long time ago.

If two NFL offensive lineman can't just overpower one NFL defensive lineman without going low then something is wrong

 

[BlackAchilles]

Broncos ain't winning another Super Bowl now

Glass House

 

[Made Myself A Boss]

This should decrease scoring throughout the league right?

If so Im all for it. Im tired of high scoring NFL games.

 

[FaTaL]

This should decrease scoring throughout the league right?

If so Im all for it. Im tired of high scoring NFL games.

really only affects teams who use a zone blocking scheme

those lineman are smaller

 

[Megadeus]

good...

that shyt just looks so wrong... every time i see a chop block, i wonder how TF its still legal

 

[FaTaL]

good...

that shyt just looks so wrong... every time i see a chop block, i wonder how TF its still legal

broken ankle, fuking bullsh!t

 

[TrebleMan]

Good.

But man, QB's are about to get annihilated.

The athleticism up front on defenses are incredible today.

 

[yseJ]

good...

that shyt just looks so wrong... every time i see a chop block, i wonder how TF its still legal

um, the last one is not a chopblock. done by a defensive player on a turnover.

 

[Rosecrans]

Waiting for the announcement that they're just going to go with 2 hand touch from now on

 

[Formerly known as...]

This is something I support.