The game of football will always have debates due to its rules and the changes that come with them from year to year. In this case, the rules in place have made the game that we all love very difficult to watch. Three penalties have made football somewhat unplayable for the defense at times, and need to be fixed immediately after the season’s conclusion. What three penalties need to be fixed, and how can their issues be solved?
Roughing the passer
Depending on who you talk to, the NFL’s number one or two priority is the “roughing the passer” penalty. The roughing penalty is warranted when the defender makes illegal contact with the quarterback after he has already thrown the ball. It’s nearly impossible for a defender to make a play on the quarterback without it being a penalty, and a costly one at that. Roughing the passer gives away 15 yards and an automatic first down, which is detrimental to a defense that is trying to stop the opposing offense.
A possible solution would be not throwing a flag every time there is a collision in the backfield. Referees seem to have a quick trigger on throwing the penalty flag when a defensive lineman hits and falls on a quarterback. This is an example of a good intention in protecting the QB, though the execution has been awful. The “roughing the passer” rule needs to be fixed as soon as possible.
Targeting
The targeting penalty is easily my least favorite one. Targeting is enforced when a player makes forcible contact with the crown of their helmet. The rule also prohibits the player from hitting a defenseless player with their helmet, forearm, hand, fist, shoulder or elbow. When you slow down any play in football, it’s going to look violent.
Contrary to the “roughing the passer” and taunting penalties, targeting is a penalty whose consequence is an ejection. Most defenses are on the field for anywhere from 50 to 90 plays per game. One tackle where the defender accidentally makes contact with his helmet, even if the contact is purely incidental, will result in a player being ejected from that game with the potential to be suspended for half of their next game. A penalty for an accident should not get a player fully kicked out of the game.
A possible solution could be to give a player a warning rather than ejecting him on the spot. I hate seeing a star player get ejected for an accident in big games. Auburn’s Zakoby McClain was ejected for attempting to stop a Penn State player from scoring a touchdown due to the player being deemed “defenseless” and his helmet making contact with the player. McClain tweeted after the game ended “so I(‘m) supposed to just let him score?” letting the world know his disappointment with the rule.
Taunting
Nobody wants to see the taunting rule be enforced. As a fan, I love to see players happy after making a big play on national television. In prior years, players were allowed to celebrate and look at other players while doing so. Now, if players do that, they will draw 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down for the opposing team. Tyreek Hill’s famous peace sign even calls for a penalty, as well, though Hill is clever in putting a colored-in peace sign in his gloves.
A possible solution would be just taking the taunting penalty away. Talking trash is one of the best parts of football and competition in general. This is just an example of people who never played the game making the rules for it. This rule is just no fun and completely takes away the personality of each individual player.
