FBS coaches want two tiers of targeting foul

I've thought this for awhile as well.  Judging intent is always tricky but it seems like most of the time it's fairly clear when there is incidental contact to the head - which can still be a penalty but not an ejection - and when someone is legitimately targeting/spearing someone.

 
IMO the way the targeting rule is worded and enforced how it is currently is just to save the NCAA from being sued.

Also I don’t think incidental helmet to helmet contact should be flagged. Examples would be Gerry vs UCLA and Devin White’s example in the article.

Personally I don’t see an outcome that college football fans would like.

 
IMO the way the targeting rule is worded and enforced how it is currently is just to save the NCAA from being sued.

Also I don’t think incidental helmet to helmet contact should be flagged. Examples would be Gerry vs UCLA and Devin White’s example in the article.

Personally I don’t see an outcome that college football fans would like.


I agree with what is being proposed here.  However, there needs to be a third form of helmet to helmet contact.  I can't remember his name, but we had corner run a perfect corner blitz years ago, came in at the numbers with head to the side....only to have the QB drop his body level to protect himself and thus...helmet to helmet.  THAT should not be penalized.  The defender did what they were supposed to do. The unexpected change of body position of the QB is what caused the flag.

 
I agree with what is being proposed here.  However, there needs to be a third form of helmet to helmet contact.  I can't remember his name, but we had corner run a perfect corner blitz years ago, came in at the numbers with head to the side....only to have the QB drop his body level to protect himself and thus...helmet to helmet.  THAT should not be penalized.  The defender did what they were supposed to do. The unexpected change of body position of the QB is what caused the flag.
That was Courtney Osborne I believe and that would fall under incidental contact. The reason I don’t think this would be a solution is I think you’ll see more targeting calls. I’m sure there have been plenty of calls where by rule there was targeting but the refs saw it was clearly incidental and disqualification of the player seemed too harsh a punishment so they picked up the flag. On the other hand there would be less ejections but this feels more like a band-aid than a solution.

 
I support the effort to make the game safer.  It's how the sport is going to survive.  There needs to be something worked into the rule that accounts for the movement of the offensive player to cause the questionable contact.

 
I agree with what is being proposed here.  However, there needs to be a third form of helmet to helmet contact.  I can't remember his name, but we had corner run a perfect corner blitz years ago, came in at the numbers with head to the side....only to have the QB drop his body level to protect himself and thus...helmet to helmet.  THAT should not be penalized.  The defender did what they were supposed to do. The unexpected change of body position of the QB is what caused the flag.
From the article that's "Mitigating circumstance 2" which I've thought since the first season targeting went into effect that it should be part of the rule.  Targeting calls are always reviewed and this can easily be seen in replay in slow motion.  I'm not sure how they can accurately determine "Mitigating circumstance 1" which is where a player pulls up.

 
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