The Dangers of Chop Blocking

Very nice post, kudos. BTW do you have any footage of a rolling block, it almost sounds like a UFC move.

have played when coaches taught roll blocking. But then again there were a lot of dumb things that were legal back then. It took them forever to outlaw the wedge blocking on KOs and I tell you that was dangerous. And, the horse collar was a preferred technique and using your head as a spear was pretty popular although pretty stupid.

As far as the chop, it should be illegal no two ways about it. I’m kinda surprised a fight did not break out on Sat. I think if I were Dareus I would be furious. That guy could have cost him millions.

Cut blocking needs to go all together. Its just to dangerous, and as I have grown older I have increasingly gotten tired of seeing players get hurt (on our side or the other). I realize that the practice gives offenses some stragetic advantage, but I just don’t think its worth it; especially at the amateur level. There have been many advances in the rules that are designed to keep players on the field and prevent injuries, and I think its time that this is instituted as well. When a player is hurt from this technique, it robs the fans of getting to see that player develop and it robs the player from potentially ever playing again, let alone at the same level. When I was a bit younger, I didn’t really care about injuries nor take much interest into why they happen. I just figured it was part of the game at this level and thats life. As I have gotten older, I have realized that there are freak injuries and needless injuries. Freak injuries are always going to be a part of the game. However, everything that can be done should be done to avoid the needless variety. In the case of cut blocking injuries, they are completely needless, and therefore, the rules need to change in my opinion to prevent these from happening.

Just a small example, I am willing to bet that prior to the horse collar tackle rule, probably about 3 of those kind of plays happened per game. Since the institution of the 15 yard penalty for doing it, I would say we see happen about once every 3 games; and the vast majority of the time its completely accidental. My point is, players will adapt and some of the “accidental” cut blocks will basically dissapear.

Bangs and bruises and freak injuries are acceptable to me; thats football. Engaging in a known technique that is without question dangerous, I just find to be unacceptable. The NCAA competition committee really needs to address this issue, and they need to have done it yesterday.

You should really send that to a state paper or something. The topic needs all the exposure it can get. Great work.

Said yesterday that cut blocking should be banned except for protecting a passer in the pocket.

the words “chop” and “cut” aren’t interchangeable in this instance. A “chop block” is a high-low tandem block where one player stands the defender up (like a tree perhaps?) while another “chops” him down. This is obviously dangerous because the defender is completely defenseless to the low block, and is outlawed, One-on-one blocks below the waist are “cut” blocks that you are arguing against.

I was watching Miami and NYJ on Sunday pm and they flagged a receiver for a “crack back block”. On replay, the receiver, who was in motion from the wide side of the field to the line of scrimmage, took out the knees of a linebacker who was moving to the wide side of the field to make the tackle. To me it looked like what is commonly called a cut block or what a lot of DBs do when making a tackle on a RB who has made it past the second level, they go low and take out the knees. Will you clarify b/w cut block and crack back block for me?

with no particular reason to pull for LSU, (indeed, quite the opposite,) that block on Dorsey was one of the lowest things I’ve ever seen.

out on TV, it’s bad. I noticed during the Bama All-Access stuff on ESPN and other places, Saban, Kirby Smart talk a lot about technique, tackeling as well as blocking. I don’t remember ever hearing college football coaches say that kids come for HS not knowing how to tackle.

There’s this notion out there now that certain schools roll block or chop block on purpose and are even taught to do so. If so, they are Evil Bastards, but beyond that, if it is true, then why can’t something be done about it? I’m tired of the NCAA worrying about players selling a stupid jersey when they should be worried about this type of crap.

There are going to be some accidental situtations but if a team shows a penchant for this sort of thing, they should be punished. The coaches should be fined. I actually would not think the video of the Dareus hit was any proof of Arky doing it but considering their unsportsmanlike conduct at the end of the game, they will have to prove their innocence to me.

After reading this and being unable to find a video on the internet demonstrating the roll block, I was watching the NFLN series on the 100 Greatest NFL Players. They did Steve Van Buren and they showed multiple roll blocks against the grain. That shit is brutal looking with 225 pound guys doing it, I can’t imagine a 300 plus lineman doing it now. Career ending for the unlucky defender that is for sure.

It is good to see write-ups like this again. This, along with the one you did last week, is the reason I started to follow RBR. While the occasional Burtonism is funny, I hope we all can look at this post and be inspired.