NFL Rules to Protect the QB

The rules of the National Football League (NFL) have been changed and revised many times since 1869. Football is a full-body contact sport, and players are bound to get hurt periodically. The purpose of some rule changes in the NFL is to provide more protection to the players from unnecessary tackles, by specifying which type of tackles are allowed and which are illegal. The quarterback position is more vulnerable and prone to unnecessary tackles and roughness from the other defenders.

  1. Helmet-to-Helmet Contact

    • Helmet contact used to be acceptable, but starting in 1996 helmet-to-helmet contact is now considered a foul. When sacking a quarterback who is getting ready to throw a pass, the defender must be careful to avoid contact between his and the passer's helmet as well as hitting him in the head. Whether intentional or not, and whether hard as to cause injury or not, it is considered a personal foul even if the quarterback still has the ball in hand. This does not apply when the quarterback is not trying to pass the ball, such as when he is running. The penalty for committing such a contact is 15 yards plus fine or ejection from the game. However, since October 2010, the NFL has increased the penalty to suspension of players following several incidents of helmet-to-helmet contact that resulted in concussions.

    Roughing the Passer

    • Roughing the passer is an illegal move in which the defender hits the quarterback after the ball has left his hand. Normally the defending team can only hit the quarterback when he has the ball, such as when getting ready to pass or running with it. Other than that, hitting the quarterback is illegal because the other team might just be trying to injure him to remove him from the game. Sometimes this ruling gets complicated because the official must decide whether the hit is flagrant or the defender just could not control his momentum seconds before the pass. If the player had a reasonable chance to slow down and stop after the quarterback made the pass, the penalty is 15 yards and the play is considered a first down.

    Knee Contact

    • Following the strings of injuries to several quarterbacks such as Carson Palmer from Cincinnati Bengals, Ben Roethlisberger from Pittsburgh Steelers and Brian Griese from Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006, the NFL has added another rule to prohibit defenders from hitting the quarterback on or below the knee, except when they are blocked into him. In 2009 league officials slightly modified the rule, which is now called the Brady Rule, after the season-ending injury to Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady. Defenders who are on the ground after being blocked by the offense cannot lunge at the quarterback's knees, or a 15-yard penalty will be issued.