Helmet-to-helmet hits and the targeting rule in college football

Concussions have consistently been a problem in all levels of football, and especially at the upper levels, in college and the NFL. In the past few years, the NCAA has come up with a way to attempt to decrease it in college football, with the targeting rule.

Targeting is defined, in my own words, as Using the crown of the helmet to try to tackle a player and aiming for the head and neck area without wrapping up the ball carrier to make the tackle, involving helmet-to-helmet contact. While this is never intentional, and defensive players want to make those highlight-reel plays and hits, I think targeting happens because a defensive player fails to use proper technique to tackle a ball carrier, which is to wrap up the player and just take him to the ground, but not so hard that it warrants a flag for unnecessary roughness.

(The consequence for targeting is a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down for the offense + an ejection of the player guilty of the targeting. Ejection due to targeting can be overturned upon further review if the play is deemed 'not targeting' after review but the 15-yard penalty will stand regardless.)

I have never been a fan of helmet-to-helmet hits or concussions, as is with everybody, but I've always liked highlight-reel plays. Going back to my point about defensive players making highlight reel plays, I don't think a big hit is necessarily a highlight-reel play, one that may get looped over and over on a highlight video on YouTube . I think that examples of highlight-reel plays are diving catches, shoe-string tackles, a catch in double coverage, a leapfrogging by a ball carrier, and things like that. These helmet-to-helmet hits or targeting cast an image that the way to make a highlight-reel play is to make a hard hit up high, around the head area that gets fans saying things like, "ohhhhhh!", but making a highlight-reel play can be done by simply playing the game the way it is supposed to be played.

I think targeting can be avoided by simply wrapping up the ball carrier to tackle instead of using the head and going up high. This is taught at the lower levels of football, in the Pee Wee and Pop Warner levels. I do understand that today's athletes are much bigger, faster, and stronger than generations past, but we do run with our arms in front of, not behind, our bodies, so it definitely is not impossible to avoid these high hits. In fact, with the ability to wrap up to tackle, it is completely simple.

The targeting rule is a good step in the game of college football because it is literally re-teaching the basics of tackling. If the players can remember to wrap up, they're golden. That way, the game is being played the way it should be played, and the high hits can be lessened, along with instincts.

Today, a defensive player's instinct is to go for that highlight-reel play and that big hit. I always hear fans and others who are not supportive of the targeting rule saying "It's a part of the game." These collisions are part of the game because the players made it to be, not using proper tackling technique. One might say, "This targeting rule is a targeting foul towards defensive players" meaning that this rule is giving offense the advantages and that defense can't really be played. While there is some merit to this, there has to be a way to somehow try to lessen the number of hits like this that go on in college football. I have said it many times in this post, but playing defense in the midst of this rule is basic, to tackle by wrapping up. Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN said in a 2010 telecast, "This is textbook on how not to tackle. He tries to go for the knockout punch, but doesn't bring his arms with him."

This targeting rule is beneficial, whether fans like it or not; the players on the field have to have the instinct and remember the fundamental idea of tackling to avoid making these hits that are considered targeting. My interpretation of this rule is similar to that of ESPN analyst Rod Gilmore, where he and I share the common opinion about having to wrap up without leading with the helmet and getting away from going up high. Like Gilmore, I think that if the defensive player wraps up the ball carrier to tackle instead of going with the high hit, he will not get flagged. Thus, wrap up and there will be no flag.

I believe that the targeting rule could be removed in the near future if players can prove it is not necessary by playing the game the right way, defensively, by wrapping up to tackle, bringing the arms, without leading with the helmet. The players are definitely capable. Fundamentals are key.

Whether this rule is ever removed or not, the players' tackling habits, and time, will tell.