In an effort to lessen its potential liability for lawsuits promote player safety, the NCAA has strengthened the so called Targeting Rule. Last season the rule was controversial in its application, and D.J. Swearinger was a victim of the selective enforcement for one of his hits. He served a one game suspension as a result of a review completed after the game. In the offseason the NCAA has made ejection mandatory at the time of the penalty.
However, for such an important and game changing rule, there isn't much understanding of it. It is often incorrectly called the 'helmet to helmet' rule, which is at best incomplete. It is confused with the NFL's version of the rule, and it is often assumed that all big hits must run afoul of the rule. At ACC media days the ACC head of officials infamously mused that Clowney should have been flagged for his hit in the Outback Bowl. The consensus is that the ACC official was incorrect, but misunderstanding persists. Here's what you need to know about the rule.
First, it's not one rule, but two. The first rule is 9-1-3. It is short. It reads:
No player shall target and initiate contact against an opponent with the crown (top) of his helmet. When in question, it is a foul.
In order for there to be a foul a player, not just a defender but a player, must initiate contact against an opponent with the top of his helmet. Notice its not the front of the helmet; it's not the forehead; it has to be the top. Watch this get botched all year. The rule says the crown and defines that as the top. However, that's not all that has to happen for there to be a foul. The player has to also "target … an opponent." Targeting is defined as a note to 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…"
So the elements of a foul under Rule 9-1-3 are:
- The player must aim at the opponent, AND
- that aim must be for the purpose of attacking, AND
- that attack must have an apparent intent beyond a legal tackle or legal block or playing the ball, AND
- the player must initiate contact, AND
- contact must be initiated by the "crown (top)" of the player's helmet.
If all 5 things are not true, then there is no foul under Rule 9-1-3. For instance, if everything is true except contact is initiated by the shoulder or the forearm or the front of the helmet, there is no penalty.
There is a second rule, Rule 9-1-4. It reads:
No player shall target and initiate contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder. When in question, it is a foul.
This rule is the one more fans are familiar with. The first element you need is a defenseless player. If you don't have one, the analysis is over, no foul. Defenseless player is a defined term in Rule 2-27-14. A defenseless player is "one who because his physical position and focus of concentration is especially vulnerable to injury." The rule then lists some examples, but the list is not exclusive. The examples are:
- A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass.
- A receiver attempting to catch a pass, or one who as completed a catch and not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a ball carrier.
- A kicker in the act of or just after kicking a ball, or during the kick or the return.
- A kick returner attempting to catch or recover a kick
- A player on the ground.
- A player obviously out of the play.
- A player who receives a blind-side block.
- A ball carrier already in the grasp of an opponent and whose forward progress has been stopped.
- A quarterback any time after a change of possession. [See Aaron Murray in SEC Championship game. – Billy]
So, if you determine you have a defenseless player, the hit needs to be initiated to their head or neck. This doesn't mean shoulder; it doesn't mean a hit to the chest that becomes a hit to the head. And, while we're at it, you can pretty much forget about the neck part because with a helmet and shoulder pads on, how can the neck be hit? The first contact must be to the defenseless player's head. If that happens the contact must be with the helmet, shoulder pads or arms, hands, elbow, etc.
The elements of a foul under 9-1-4 are:
- The player must aim at the opponent, AND
- that aim must be for the purpose of attacking, AND
- that attack must have an apparent intent beyond a legal tackle or legal block or playing the ball, AND
- the player must initiate contact, AND
- the contact has to be initiated by the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder, AND
- the initial contact must be to the head or neck of another player, AND
- that other player must be defenseless as defined in Rule 2-27-14.
Like all rules, all elements of a foul must be met. If one of them isn't met, then it isn't a foul.
OK, so we've got a foul. What's the penalty? 15 yards and an automatic first down, like last year, and ejection. If the foul is during the first half, then ejection for the rest of the game. If the foul is during the second half, ejection for the rest of the game and the first half of the next game.
There is some very limited review allowed. For the purposes of Rule 9-1-3, the use of the crown is reviewable. For Rule 9-1-4, only the point of initial contact is reviewable. The other four elements of Rule 9-1-3 and the other six elements of Rule 9-1-4 are not reviewable.
If upon review the call is determined to be incorrect, the call stands. Really, that's not a typo. The call stands, the yards are marked off, the automatic first down is awarded. but the player who committed no foul is reinstated into the game.
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