I've questioned this since I became a fan back in 1999. Should the league penalize for things like roughing the kicker or passer....or holds that take place so far away from the play that they have no effect on the play? The problem with roughing the passer/kicker penalties is that when the passer or kicker is roughed....IT DOES NOT EFFECT THE PLAY ON THE FIELD! If the kicker gets bumped into after he punts the ball and because of that the punting team is given a new set of downs, that can drastically alter the outcome of the game....all because of something that did not effect the play on the field. Look at today for instance. Right near the end of the first half, Miami was punting and, in trying to block the punt the Miami punter flopped and we were penalized(this was a BS call but that's beside the point). Miami got new set of downs but luckily the Jets still won. What about opening night vs the ravens two years ago when the ravens were going for a field goal and, in attempt to block in the kicker was run into and the ravens got a first down which resulted in a touchdown instead of a field goal...a difference of four points in a game the ravens ultimately won by 1 point. All because of a play that did not effect the play on the field. In the interest of fairness and making sure that actual talent and effort wins the games....I disagree with roughing the passer or punter calls. You want to penalize those who do it then give them a huge fine...but do not give a team who is on 4th and 20 a first down because their punter was nicked after he kicked the ball.
The punter/kicker have legs planted into the ground. Most likely one leg only. People are diving at their legs. There has to be some rules to prevent players to diving with no regard. The should be penalized in game, but severity and flopping have to be taken into account. Roughing the passer, again a defenseless player. A lot of refs use the "defenseless" and "roughing" terms to say any hit on a QB is bad. Refs need to stop looking at the reactions of the players that got hit, and more at the actual contact
Roughing the passer should absolutely be a penalty. I hate the roughing the kicker penalty though. I understand it cause he is defenseless but a lot of times the punters flop like today when it was called on Smith. I just dont like how a guy can dive to try and block the punt and if he misses it and hits the kicker it's a penalty.
"Roughing the passer" is just a specific version of personal foul. You're not allowed to unnecessarily tee off on any player. Otherwise, they'd just t-bone the other teams best player on every play, away from the ball.
this is absurd. ok so we will go and kill the qb every play because it doesnt affect the play... it does affect the play.
Like Mike Pouncey did to Revis today? I missed that call. Passer yes...but flopping by a kicker should be an unsportsmanlike call.
Its one of those neccesary evils. Without the penalty, guys would have virtual bounties on every specialized player who is "not part of the play". I don't think there is a way to make it subjective as that would be criticized too.
I think roughing the kicker should be reviewable. When somebody takes an NBA flop the way Miami's guy did yesterday there should at least be a chance to check the tape and risk a timeout and a challenge to get it overturned. Roughing the passer isn't going anywhere, and shouldn't. QB means to much to any team to allow guys free reign to kill them.
don't you have to give the punter a place to land? Smith didn't really hit him but he landed where the Punter's leg would have landed so shouldn't that still be a penalty?
You know these are freak athletes right? Most of them can dive for over 10 yards. According to your reasoning, the defender can dive from the LoS running full speed and the QB 7-8 yards deep, after the ball leaves his arm long time ago. That can be a full one second late hit. Some calls are close, but a lot of the times, defender can control how hard they wanna hit the QB. If the ball leaves the QBs hand fair and square, but the defender is right in his face, he might not be able to stop himself hitting the QB, but he can certainly control how hard he drives the QB to the ground.
Punters usually land on one leg and take couple of hops to balance themselves before their second leg touches the ground. So Eric Smith penalty was a BS call.
but you have to give them room to land, he didn't do that. I have less problems w/ that call than the bogus catch or bogus false start.
It should be a penalty, but not an automatic first down. In fact, if it were up to me there would be no automatic first downs, except for PI and personal fouls. Also, penalty yardage wouldn't count in regards to the chains. So if you're 2nd and 5 on the opponent's 45 yard line and the they encroach, you have 2nd and 5 from the 40. I just hate bailout calls like that. They are game changers. Penalties shouldn't completely dictate the game like that.
There should be a penalty for acting or "diving." Get away with it well then good for you, maybe you got the roughing call for your team or maybe they didnt call it at all, but you run the risk of having the penalty called on your team as well. That would at least make them think about it. Edit: Just saw Hobbes above, Unsportsmanlike for flopping, agreed.
