Report: NFL considering rule change to eliminate chop block
The NFL's competition committee is considering a rule alteration for the 2016 season that would make chop blocks illegal, a league source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The chop block is banned at most other levels of football, but is still legal in certain situations in the NFL.
The block is considered dangerous as it involves an offensive lineman blocking a defender low while they are already engaged with another offensive lineman above the waist.
This type of block is controversial because of the danger of major knee injuries for defenders, and ex-NFL defensive end Osi Umenyiora is happy that the NFL is looking to protect all of its players:
@AdamSchefter finally. We've seen Dlinemen can be just as important as Quarterbacks. Gotta protect their knees too!!!!
— Osi Umenyiora (@OsiUmenyiora) February 29, 2016
Last year, the league further restricted chop blocks, so it's currently unclear how they plan to enforce the more drastic change to the rule.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio explained the situations in which the chop block was still allowed after the restrictions were put in place last year:
First, two players initially aligned next to each other on the line of scrimmage may do it. Second, two players not initially aligned next to each other may do it if the flow of the play is toward the block. Third, two players may do it if one player was initially aligned in the backfield and hits the defender low while another player is blocking the defender high, as long as the action occurs outside the area initially occupied by the tight end on either side of the line.