Personal Foul, Late Hit

College Football and the NFL know that player safety is a very important matter. Many retired players are crippled for life or dealt with serious injuries due to the hits that they endured during their playing careers. It is great that precautions are being taken to decrease the chances that modern players get hurt, whether temporarily or permanently. Today's players are bigger, stronger, and faster, which means that the collisions are more vicious than in years past.

Football is a violent game by nature. When a player gets the football, 11 opposing players try not only to get his knee to touch the ground, but also to hit him hard enough so that he fumbles or drops a pass. College Football and the NFL try to protect players by penalizing players for late hits. Defenders are penalized if they hit the quarterback after he throws the football, or if they hit a kicker or punter as they kick the football. Also, if an offensive player runs out of bounds, and is hit when he is off the field of play, the defender will be penalized.

These rules are great for the game... if interpreted somewhat loosely. All too often a quarterback will throw the football, and get bumped by a player running at full speed, who could not stop his momentum. An official will throw a flag for a personal foul on the defense. A defender will attempt to block a field goal or punt, and a kicker or punter will land on them. Another personal foul. A running back will take a toss on third-and-four and gain three when his toe barely touches the out of bounds line. The defender will lay down a hard hit, thinking that the running back is still on the field. A punting situation turns into 15 yards for the offense, and an automatic first down.

A lot of this sounds unreal but it actually happens. Again, player safety is a great thing. Nobody wants to see football players get hurt, whether the injury is serious or minor. But, football is starting to turn into a flag fest, where ridiculous "late" hit calls change the outcomes of important games.