

Excessive grabbing of jerseys when striking on the inside of the body can also warrant a holding penalty. Holding occurs when the hands go outside the framework of the defender’s body during the block.

However, some details go into each illegal block that determines the type and severity of the penalty that accompanies the block. When a block falls outside of the framework explained above, a penalty flag is thrown. If another player is already engaged with the defender and decides to cut block, a flag will be thrown. If there is a contact coming from the side or rear while cutting, a flag will be thrown.

When cutting, a blocker must attack the defender’s front side of the lower body without contact from another player. The cut block has been banned at some levels, so be sure to examine your league rules before deciding to utilize this block. The cut block is often used in space, and its legality can often be difficult to understand. If the block does not follow these criteria, a penalty will be issued. The player must engage the defender while attacking the front of his body with his hands landing in the inside framework, ideally the breastplate, of the defender’s body. This type of block is common in most run and pass schemes and can be identified in any football gameplay. The first legal block we will examine is striking through the chest while still on our feet. The two ways to engage an opponent are striking through the chest on his feet or cut blocking as he attempts to drive through the opponent’s legs. In this article, we will show you the difference between legal and illegal blocks in football. There is a range of intricacies to consider when identifying an illegal block, but they tend to fall outside of this definition of a legal block. If a blocker does not use a legal blocking technique, a penalty flag will be thrown, and a loss of yardage ensues.Ī legal block occurs when the blocker strikes the opponent, attacking the front side of the body, with his strike landing within the body’s framework. There is a wide variety of blocking techniques used for varying schemes across football, but the underlying theme is that they all fall within the legal framework of the game.
