America is confused about the NCAA’s new targeting rule. Is it only hits to the head? Does it apply to defenseless players? Is leaving your feet a no-no? In all, six players were ejected under the new rule in the first weekend.
Lorenzo Doss-Tulane
Terrance Mitchell-Oregon
Deshazor Everett-A&M
Chris McCain-Cal
Carlos Aviles-Indiana tate
C.J. James-CSU
In the case of C.J. James, his penalty was later overturned.
Here’s the wording of the rule.
Note 1: “Targeting” means that a player takes aim at an opponent for purposes of attacking with an apparent intent that goes beyond making a legal tackle or a legal block or playing the ball. Some indicators of targeting include but are not limited to:
Launch—a player leaving his feet to attack an opponent by an upward and forward thrust of the body to make contact in the head or neck area
A crouch followed by an upward and forward thrust to attack with contact at the head or neck area, even though one or both feet are still on the ground
Leading with helmet, forearm, fist, hand or elbow to attack with contact at the head or neck area
Lowering the head before attacking by initiating contact with the crown of the helmet
The spirit of the rule is fine. Limit head-hunting in the game. Limit those gruesome plays where guys are laid out because someone thinks their body is a missile.
I get it. I understand that part.
But I don’t get the interpretation and I certainly don’t agree with the execution of the rule in these two instances.
The first is Terrance Mitchell of Oregon.
Now, of course, that looks nasty. Their helmets collided with great force and Nicholls State quarterback Beaux Hebert took the brunt of it. But what really happened on the play? Here’s a freeze frame as Mitchell begins his tackle.
Mitchell is going for the submarine here. His body is positioned far too low for a head shot. Had Hebert not slid, that’s a garden variety open field tackle. A tackle that would NEVER get flagged. If the NCAA wants to stop launching entirely, then stop guys from submarining.
But you know that’s not gonna happen. The point of emphasis isn’t a guy’s leg or his soon-to-be pulverized knee. It’s the noggin.
Moving on.
Here’s Deshazor Everett of Texas A&M.
That’s worthy of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for sure. Fine. But targeting? Where? His head is up and point of contact is shoulder-to-shoulder. As a defender, you’re taught to aim for mid-chest.
So what are the officials doing here? Punishing a guy under the targeting rule because they didn’t like the hit? Because it was late?
That’s a slippery slope and one that will eventually cost someone a game.