1. CONTACT TO AND WITH THE HELMET Greater New Orleans Football Officials Association August 5, 2013

2. NFHS 2013 POINT OF EMPHASIS KEEP THE HEAD OUT OF FOOTBALL Minimize Risk of Catastrophic Injuries Eliminate Direct Helmet-To-Helmet Contact Eliminate Contact With and To Helmet Officials – Strict Enforcement of Rules Player Safety is Top Responsibility When in Doubt, Contact is a Foul.

3. NFHS RULEBOOK ILLEGAL HELMET CONTACT (Rule 2-20) INITIATING CONTACT WITH HELMET – Butt Block (front of helmet against non-runner) – Face Tackle (front of helmet against runner) – Spearing (top / crown of helmet) PERSONAL FOUL (Rule 9-4-3i) – Includes fouls against opponent lying on the ground, being held up by others, and defenseless opponent.

4. WHAT IT DOESN’T TELL US What is a defenseless opponent? Case Book. What about contact to an opponent’s helmet / neck area when the blocker doesn’t use his helmet? Not a lot of examples in case book. – Pp. 16-17, 77.

5. PRIMARY CONCERNS TARGETING OF DEFENSELESS PLAYERS USING THE HELMET TO PUNISH FORCEFUL CONTACT TO HEAD / NECK AREA

6. FOULS TO CALL ILLEGAL HELMET CONTACT – Rule 9-4-3(i) – Use when blocker initiates contact with his helmet UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS – Rule 9-3-4(g) – Use when blocker doesn’t use helmet but illegally contacts opponent in head or neck area – Also use for unnecessary hits on players out of the play

7. TARGETING NO NFHS DEFINITION – KNOW IT WHEN YOU SEE IT Taking aim to attack an opponent with apparent intent beyond making a legal block or tackle Intentional – Actions show the player meant to use the helmet, or meant to contact a defenseless player above shoulders Not simply two helmets that happen to contact each other Not the hand that slides up to the helmet momentarily

8. DEFENSELESS PLAYERS Physical Position / Focus of Concentration Makes Player Especially Vulnerable to Potential Injury You know these players when you see them Case Book Examples (pp. 74-75) Draw distinction between necessary contact and that which targets defenseless players

9. DEFENSELESS PLAYERS QB after hand-off / pitch and not participating QB after change of possession Passer in act of throwing or just after Kicker in act of kicking or just after Pass Receiver concentrating on catch or relaxing after miss Kick Receiver concentrating on catch OR who has just touched the ball Player relaxing when ball is dead Player obviously out of play Player on the ground Player receiving a blind-side block

10. DEFENSELESS PLAYERS QB / Passer / Kickers Receivers On Ground / Out of Play Blindside Block

11. REMEMBER NOT ALL CONTACT WITH A DEFENSELESS PLAYER IS A FOUL HARD LEGAL CONTACT WILL OCCUR THESE WILL BE FAST AND OFF-BALL FOCUS IS THE HELMET AND HEAD

12. HOW TO JUDGE THE HIT NEED TO KNOW WHAT’S COMING FIND THE THREAT – BRICK IN HAND – Who is around the Receiver? Who is threatening the passer? Fish swimming up stream? IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE BALL IN THE AIR OR WATCHING THE RUNNER IN SPACE, YOU WON’T SEE THIS LOOK FOR HIGH OR LOW RISK ACTIONS

13. HIGH-RISK ACTIONS LAUNCH – leaves feet with upward and forward thrust to contact head or neck area THRUST – upward and forward thrust from a crouching to contact head or neck area, even though feet remain on ground STRIKE – lead with helmet, forearms, fist, hand, elbow to contact head or neck area HEAD DIP – lowering head before attack to initiate contact with crown of helmet

14. LOW-RISK ACTIONS HEAD-UP – head is facing player, and crown of helmet does not hit above shoulders WRAP-UP – player uses arms to wrap around player in effort to tackle or restrain him HEAD-TO-SIDE – player’s head is to the side of opponent rather than initiating contact POSITION CHANGE – position change by players causes helmets to contact incidentally