Thursday night was the first pre-season game of the NFL season and it was also the first look at the new helmet rule. The new rule essentially takes almost all contact with the helmet out of the game.
The was supposed to keep players from lowering their head to initiate contact, a play that had already been taken out of certain plays.
The way it played out on Thursday night was pretty much any contact with a helmet, anywhere on the body, even if the helmet wasn’t lowered. It led to this play being flagged.
I understood enforcement of the first 2 calls by letter of the law. But it’s a disservice to the officials & viewers when the announcers defend calls that are wrong. Collinsworth: “Lowers his helmet, contact to the arm/shoulder area” ??? Except he didn’t lower his helmet. pic.twitter.com/gO3a1SMroM
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 3, 2018
This might be the end of the game we all love. This is essentially taking punching in the face out of the sport of boxing. The helmet is sometimes going to make contact with an opponent, It’s unavoidable.
