Targeting Rule

[texcane1982]

Has this rule changed for 2015? Not even considering the viciousness of the hit, an absolute blatant shot on a defenseless WR, from a DB sprinting across the field at full speed with one and only one agenda in mind. How in the h*ell is a personal foul for unnecessary roughness not called?

Is targeting all or nothing penalty this season? If a targeting call is reversed, is the lesser charge of "personal foul" also waved off? I Don't understand how the UNM DB was not at the very least penalized for "unnecessary roughness? That was the cheapest hit on a WR I have ever seen not get flagged.

It was pretty obvious from this game that Bob Davie believes his team is soft and he is pushing them to be excessively physical. If i'm Dr. Gragg I don't schedule another game where Davie is HC, however that should be no problem as this season is likely his his last at the FBS level.

I would hope Dr. Gragg filed a complaint to the MWC/NCAA over the outcome of the penalty or if the rule was changed to "no" penalty if targeting is not enforced. It appears Floyd was temporarily knocked unconscious and he could have easily suffered a much more serious injury. The whole manner of which this play unfolded had "bounty" written all over it.


TX

 

[TUBballJunkie]

This is actually a really good question. It seemingly went from overboard to nothing.

 

[TU_BLA]

TX, I believe the rule changed in the last couple of years where it became an automatically reviewed play (previously, the replay official could call for a review)...now it's sort of like the death penalty. If you're sentenced to death there are x number of automatic appeals and reviews that occur before the sentence can be carried out. I get that part. I don't get the part where the replay official from last week overturned it. There were several troubling parts of the play that I don't understand how it was overturned. 1) The play was essentially dead the second the ball hit the turf. If nothing else, UNM should have been flagged for a late hit. 2) The UNM defensive player LEFT HIS FEET. That is even illegal in the NHL 3) UNM player led with his helmet. The first thing to make contact with Floyd was the crown of the helmet. 4) Hit was to the head/neck area. 5) Floyd actually pulled up thus making himself even less prepared to take a hit. Each of these individual conditions can be flagged for a personal foul. When you put them together, they are the very definition of the targeting rule. I understand where you want to review it to make sure a player isn't ejected for a clean hit (happened in the TU/OU game a few years back where the safety came over the top and put a lick on Trey in the end zone and got flagged for targeting. When it was reviewed, it clearly showed the DB hit Trey with his shoulder and to the shoulder. Clean hit. Hard hit. Ejection overturned but the 15 yd mark-off was not. TU got a 1st down and eventually scored the TD.

I think if the referees word the penalty carefully like "Late hit on a defenseless receiver, targeting", you should be able to uphold the late hit portion of the penalty but allow the player to remain in the game. IMO, in this instance the replay official screwed the pooch.

 

[TUBballJunkie]

Outside of targeting, do you not still have to give the player a reasonable chance to catch the ball? ie what replaced the halo rule years ago?

 

[TU_BLA]

Halo rule only applied to punts.

 

[TUBballJunkie]

Have you seen penalties called for not allowing the unimpeded opportunity to make a catch on a punt any time recently?

Not in our games obviously since we fair catch everything.

 

[TU_BLA]

Have you seen penalties called for not allowing the unimpeded opportunity to make a catch on a punt any time recently?

Not in our games obviously since we fair catch everything.

You do have to give them the PR a chance to catch the ball. Essentially the defender needs to only avoid contact and my understanding is they cannot yell or shout anything or do anything distracting to the PR, i.e. run up in his face and throw an arm out, feign a tackle, etc. I saw it called in one of the games on the 1st weekend, I just can't remember the exact game.

In defense of Connor Floyd and fair catching the ball, we have run into 2 fantastic punters the 1st 2 weeks. The FAU punter was great and had both distance and hang time. The UNM punter had really good hang time. The PRs job is to first catch the ball, advance it if possible, but make sure that where that ball is coming down, make sure you get to it and secure it. Also, in the UNM game with them trying 2 fake punts, our return team was not peeling and blocking so a fair catch was a pretty prudent play. The rugby style punters present a problem for return teams in that the roll out style lends itself to a read option for the punter allowing him to take off if the return team sets up a block and assumes he is going to punt the ball. The second issue is that the punt itself is usually a low line drive not giving the PR a chance to settle under and catch it and you get a ton of roll out of it. Not everyone can have a Dalton Parks where you are getting 45-50 yard punts with 4.6 hang times. (He has been a very underrated and under appreciated player this year. He has flipped field position several times).