‘Targeting’ is defined in high school football rule change

Among 10 rule changes approved for the 2014 high school football season, the National Federation of State High School Associations Football Rules Committee put together a definition for “targeting,� and it will be penalized as illegal personal contact.

New rule 2-43 will read: “Targeting is an act of taking aim and initiating contact to an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders.�

The rule is an effort to minimize risk of injury.

Bob Colgate, the NFHS director of spotrs and sports medicine and liason to the Football Rules Committee, said, “Taking aim with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders to initiate contact above the shoulders, which goes beyond making a legal tackle, a legal block or playing the ball, will be prohibited.�

There’s also a new definition for a “defenseless player.�

“A defenseless player is a player who, because of his physical position and focus of concentration, is especially vulnerable to injury.�

In an attempt to reduce injury on kickoffs, two new requirements were approved for the kicking team. At least four members of the kicking team must be on each side of the kicker and second, other than the kicker, no members of the kicking team may be more than five yards behind the kicking team’s free-kick line. That will change how onside kicks are done.

Here’s the link to complete rule changes.

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