NFL: Suspensions More Likely for Illegal Hits

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

The NFL will be more aggressive in suspending players next season for illegal hits, and also could make changes to instant replay and kickoffs.

Ray Anderson, the league's chief disciplinarian, said Wednesday that repeat offenders or players committing flagrant illegal hits will have a much greater chance of being suspended during the 2011 season.

No suspensions were handed down in 2010 even after the NFL's crackdown on such hits, in part because "we were operating under the principle unless you have given sufficient advance notice of what the results could be, you need to be more lenient," Anderson said.

"Frankly, now that the notice has been given, players and coaches and clubs are very aware of what the emphasis is and we won't have that hesitation," Anderson said. "Everyone will be very clearly on notice now that a suspension is very viable for us and we will exercise it ... when it comes to illegal hits to the head and neck area and to defenseless players."


Read more: http://sports.excite.com/news/03162011/v1793.html

[Akoto]

1. This is mildly confusing to me.

I'm not a football fan, but I understand that it's a contact sport and injuries happen. However, isn't deliberately aiming to damage someone's neck/head ... um, assault? A crime, more than something to be suspended over?

[JonLP24]

5. It would hard to determine intent

but I'm sure most of the head-to-head hits are accidents more than anything. Plus almost of all these guys in the league today had a lifetime of training to hit as hard as possible without regard to a lot of these rules which are really recent. So teams are retraining players to stay low and tell the difference between a defenseless player and a ball carrier. (Ball carriers the head shots rules really don't apply because the runners themselves get low before the contact happens and likely their helmet will collide with a shoulder pad or helmet)

[bergie321]

7. Wasn't a hockey player

Charged with assault for swinging his stick and hitting a guy in the face?

[JonLP24]

8. Marty McSorely

He was actually convicted. There were a few assault charges throughout NHL, including one where a guy attacked another with his skate, but they were unsuccessful. I can't remember the exact words they used but they didn't convict one of them because the NHL or similar professional leagues are self enforcing, meaning they suspend players and such when they act like this.

[RandomThoughts]

2. Defensless players paradymn Function not data.

was already explained.

"You should have armed yourself if you were going to hang my friend from your bar."

So that does not apply in any discussion.


On a side note, I don't do illegal stuff, or think that is best, but the 'function not data' of some action on a defenseless person can have many ways to see it.


And I am still due beer and travel money, and many experiences.



Also did I mention, I am not playing a game.


Longest Yard: Ball Bashing
http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=353

[underpants]

3. NFL tries to change the subject from getting caught in collusion

the court documents were damning and they know it

[onethatcares]

4. maybe they should just

slap the owners in the head, take the suspension, and go back to work the next week

Does the leagues' chief disciplinarian realize there is a lock out at the present time?

[Omaha Steve]

6. I think it was Mike Holmgren's last year in Green Bay

Warren Sapp lowered the boom on a Packer that couldn't get up after the play. Sapp was running around celebrating his big hit. I don't remember the Packer player, but he was down a long time. He finally got up and to the locker room with a stretcher. He had numbness in is arms and legs. Holgren waited until after the game to tell Sapp "there is no place for that in the NFL!" Sapp went nuts and had to have several of his players stop him from attacking Holmgren.

Good for coach Holmgren.

[madrchsod]

9. go with the real football rules...

yellow-red and the team plays a man down. yes, teams win playing 10 on 11

[Night Crawler]

10. Take some of the armor out the game

anyone who has played or watched RUGBY can tell you what the problem in the NFL is. Too much padding and helmets with cages. Eliminate a lot of that and you immediately solve a lot of the problem.

[qanda]

11. Reviewing every single scoring play sounds like a nightmare.

Why not just give the coaches two replays per half?