Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

The "slide rule" relating to the tackling of quarterbacks should  applies to receivers and running backs.  In addition to the prevention of injuries, clock management  is the big reason.  Things may change in the last five minutes of a half or game.  Before that a general rule is this;  if a team has the ball and is ahead or tied they should burn as much of the clock as possible.  This simply allows your opponents on offense less time.  Clock management is a big portion of a winning strategy.    Remember also this.  It is or at a least should be a penalty to spear or charge into a ball carrier flat on the ground.  This  applies even when not down by contact.  The officials should never allow a hit when touching would suffice. 

Turning points do not always occur in the second half.  They can happen in the first quarter.   I have heard announcers say "... I know this is in the first half so it is not a real turning point."

Another fallacy is when announcers say especially about a running back. "He gets stronger as the game goes on."   This is impossible even for the fans.  What they really mean is the offense consumes less energy for a given time period than the defense.  A better statement would be that the offense gets stronger  relative to the defense as time goes on.

LeonardRachiele wrote:The "slide rule" relating to the tackling of quarterbacks should  applies to receivers and running backs.  In addition to the prevention of injuries, clock management  is the big reason.  Things may change in the last five minutes of a half or game.  Before that a general rule is this;  if a team has the ball and is ahead or tied they should burn as much of the clock as possible.  This simply allows your opponents on offense less time.  Clock management is a big portion of a winning strategy.    Remember also this.  It is or at a least should be a penalty to spear or charge into a ball carrier flat on the ground.  This  applies even when not down by contact.  The officials should never allow a hit when touching would suffice. 

Regarding the slide rule, this applies to any ball carrier. It winds up often applying to quarterbacks, who are more likely to surrender their advance. If a ball carrier makes a slide decision late, he can be hit legally, the lone exception is a forcible blow to the head/neck or the lowering of the helmet to initiate contact. So spearing is illegal, but a defender can land on the body of a ball carrier when they are about to commit a tackle and the runner gives up at the last second.

This reminds me of the criminal spear on Donovan McNabb in the 2003 NFC title game at LFF versus the Carolina Panther. I cannot remember the linebackers' name but should have been penalized, ejected, and fined. This was on the Eagles field goal drive. The Eagles at leased would have had the ball for four more plays. It also seemed like the officials ignored eight defensive holding penalties on the Panthers.

Sorry Leonard, but I agree with running backs " getting stronger as the game goes on" ... Herschel Walker would have made the HOF if he had more carries with the teams he played for. More carries-more flow-more production ...

I think it was Greg Favors* who speared McNabb in that game. There wasnt even a penalty called.

*Edited