CHOP blocks, helmet-to-helmet hits, horse-collar tackles, and hip-drop tackles have all been eliminated from the NFL over the years.
These kinds of plays that “jeopardize player safety,” as the NFL says, were obvious candidates for a ban because of their immediate and potential long-term effects on players.
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But the NFL has long been called the “No Fun League” because it prohibits certain plays and celebrations that make the game exciting and fun to watch.
Here are five such rules that have been blocked.
Punishment for purpose
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John Harbaugh, head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, used it twice to score two huge wins before it was banned — including in Super Bowl XLVII.
In that win over the San Francisco 49ers, punter Sam Koch danced around the end zone and eventually went out of bounds to concede a safety and run out the clock.
While this was happening, his teammates received a penalty for NINE to keep the Niners from forcing a penalty – giving them a chance to score.
Harbaugh repeated the trick in a blowout AFC North win over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2016, with Koch admitting he had a better time than he did in the Super Bowl.
“We know the mistakes we made in the Super Bowl, and we kind of learned from them and made sure everyone did what they needed to do and hung on as long as they could and ended up winning the game,” he said. “
Belichick's clock loophole
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Bill Belichick, former head coach of the New England Patriots, is considered by many to be the greatest coach of all time, and moments like this add to his legend.
Beating the New York Jets 33-0 in 2019, the Patriots were awarded a delay-of-game penalty to give punter Jake Bailey more room to bet.
Jets head coach Adam Gase then on the next play, after running the clock more, the Patriots made a false start to get another penalty.
“We were able to take a lot of time off the clock without having to do anything,” Belichick, who could be seen smiling on the sideline, later said.
“It's a loophole that will be closed and probably should be closed. But it's open now.”
The play came back to bite Belichick in the playoffs when the Tennessee Titans — coached by former Patriots star Mike Vrabel — used the same tactic against him in a loss to New England.
Fumblerowski/Holy Roller
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“Fumblerooski” is a trick play where players put the ball on the ground and another player picks it up and goes in the opposite direction to where the defense thinks they are going.
It has been banned since the late 1970s in the NFL but was legal in the NCAA until 1992.
One of the most famous examples of an intentional forward fumble is the Holy Roller, which the Oakland Raiders used to score the game-winning touchdown against the San Diego Chargers in 1978, while it was also used in two Orange Bowls by the Miami Hurricanes in the 1980s.
However, the version of the play in which the quarterback puts the ball behind him is still legal.
Jump over the center
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A blocked field goal is one of the most exciting things that can happen in a game – especially late when the score is on the line.
It was a semi-frequent site, with Seattle Seahawks legend Cam Chancellor officiating on multiple occasions, and defensive stalwart Bobby Wagner also getting in on the action.
But the league banned jumps over the middle to prevent illegal field goal attempts in 2017 due to concerns for player safety.
There have been no known cases of players getting hurt trying to block a field goal in this manner.
The Chancellor was not happy and posted on social media at the time: “No league is fun… How can you entertain if you're ruled by people who've never broken a bone before? #TheyDon'tUnderstand.”
Kick-off
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The Baltimore Ravens special teams staff is on this list again — this time with Koch's longtime teammate Justin Tucker.
The great position kicker only managed this trick once before it was banned by the league office, but it worked well.
During a 2019 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tucker drew a penalty for an onside kick attempt and although the Ravens did not recover, the fair catch was called just before the two-minute warning, meaning the Ravens were essentially awarded a penalty. Additional deadline.
After the play was blocked, Harbaugh revealed that he had been in contact with the NFL and that they had cleared the play before their turn.
