Show Me the Flag

Anyone who follows the NFL has heard plenty this week about vicious hits. The NFL leveled monster fines against three players for tackles made this past Sunday and has threatened to suspend players in the future for illegal hits. Particularly those tackles where players lead with their helmets. Player reaction to this crackdown has been largely negative. But no one reacted more vocally than Steeler bruiser James Harrison, who threatened retirement after being dealt a $75,000 fine by the league. The sports media has sounded a largely hypocritical note by attacking the NFL for compromising player safety at the same time big hits make top play highlight reels nationwide.

Increasingly weighty science on the neurological impact of football injuries strongly suggests that the NFL must continue to pursue policies that protect their stars. If the stringent enforcement of these policies compromises the physicality of the sport, so be it.

However, there is an element of fairness to be considered. Current NFL players have been raised from childhood to pursue and celebrate the big hit. Defensive impact players like Harrison are rightly frustrated that the style of play for which they have been so richly rewarded may become taboo. I suggest the following compromise: A player may only be fined or suspended for a tackle after the fact if the hit in question was penalized during the game. If the NFL truly wants to modify defensive style of play to avoid injury-inducing hits, players must be subject to immediate and consistent consequences. If a player leads with their helmet, hits a defenseless player, roughs a kicker or passer, or otherwise engages in a dangerous personal foul, a flag must be thrown. The league cannot play the role of monday morning referee and expect players to adapt quickly. Bottom line: If a hit is clean enough to go unflagged on game day, the NFL has no right to penalize a player after the fact.

Admittedly, this policy would put an additional burden on officiating crews. If a player cannot be fined or suspended for a hit that isn't flagged, there is potential for a hit to go unpunished due to a blown call. But the NFL should not be allowed to establish a double standard in this regard. In September of 2008, the Denver Broncos were robbed of a potential game winning red zone opportunity due to a blown call by referee Ed Hochuli. Hochuli confessed to the error immediately following the game, but the NFL took no action to amend the game result to reflect the blown call. Nor should it. If referees can be trusted to determine the outcome of a game, with no repercussions for admitted errors, surely the same policy can be applied for enforcing player conduct on the field.