Quarterback Contact: Legal, Illegal, or Something Else?

[@Tristan-Raisch]

Bill's last point is the key in my view. If that defender commits to, initiates, and completes a much more forceful hit in the form of a wrap-up tackle, I'm actually more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt as to whether he knew the ball was gone or not. But because he instead loads up and delivers the shove - not a particularly damaging hit or anything - that signals clearly that he 100% knew the ball was gone, and that's UNR. To Bill's point, no way he makes that kind of hit if he thought the QB still had the ball.

[@madsakjr6507]

I was just about to write essentially what you wrote.

[@MakeItBeThere]

Thanks Tristan! Tim K

[@craigyoung9524]

Let look at this like this. What if the QB had burned them a couple times before by faking the pitch, then to me he would be justified in making that hit. Like you said, look how for he is away from the QB when starts the pitch. That’s plenty of time to tuck the ball and turn up field and gain big yards

[@HenryTreftz]

Illegal and/or blindside.

[@Tristan-Raisch]

Disagree on blindside, as that by rule has the open-hands exception, which this defender would have absolutely met.

[@genematthew]

Great video

[@MakeItBeThere]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks! Tim K