Targeting Flags -- which do you agree with

LA4Bama

All-SEC
Jan 5, 2015
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I know this rule is controversial, but I'd like to see what people really think should and should not count as targeting. Apart from our bias as fans, what do we really think is a hit worthy of a penalty

I suggest we post examples and say why it should or should not have been called (this can include non-calls like last week against Jalen if people think it should have been called.) If this catches on it can be a place to collect a bunch of opinions on a bunch of plays and see if there is some realistic set of cases that should be easy calls, the clear exception, and the hard cases.

The one that got my attention was in the PSU-UM game. It can be seen here link

This is clearly helmet to helmet, but a) the defender is going for the ball, and b) the receiver is already dipping down low. I just can't see this being targeting. But the officials did, so...
 

CajunCrimson

Moderator (FB,BB) and Vinyl Enthusiast
Staff member
Mar 13, 2001
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It's the equivalent of charging/blocking in basketball....too much subjection has to be included to make the call.

He was going for ball. But once he missed it, he did throw his shoulder pad into the guys helmet
 
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JDMinHSV

Scout Team
Jan 11, 2007
145
41
47
It wasn't strictly targeting, but how bad was the call in the Tenn-Fla game where the Florida player pointed to a UT guy who promptly took a dive worthy of soccer? THEN, the Florida player got tossed. I guess the refs were mad at the poor acting or something. It was an egregious call. That ref needs to be fired IMHO.
 

BayouBama75

All-SEC
Dec 7, 2001
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I thought the one against the Ark safety was a good call. He had plenty of time to pull up after the ball was batted away by the other defender.
I agreed there should not have been any call against the PS LB. Just a good football play.
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
39,407
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Prattville
It wasn't strictly targeting, but how bad was the call in the Tenn-Fla game where the Florida player pointed to a UT guy who promptly took a dive worthy of soccer? THEN, the Florida player got tossed. I guess the refs were mad at the poor acting or something. It was an egregious call. That ref needs to be fired IMHO.
Absolutely no clue how the officials ejected him for punching once you see the replay.

Would seem like any ejection call would be reviewable.


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TrueCrimson7

All-American
Sep 21, 2014
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Don't make it an automatic ejection and people wouldn't have as much problem with it. Do it like the other personal fouls where if you get two you are out.
I understand your point, but if an egregious act of targeting is performed, the consequence to the victim has more life-altering potential than an ACL tear, as an example. So it needs to have an ejection attached to it the first time it occurs.
 

BamaInMo1

All-American
Oct 27, 2006
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They need to penalize the refs who make egregiously erroneous calls and who miss the OBVIOUS calls right in front of them. This includes the refs in the review booth and in the case of the SEC the idiots in that "review" room. Force people to actually do their jobs correctly.
 

LA4Bama

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Jan 5, 2015
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It wasn't strictly targeting, but how bad was the call in the Tenn-Fla game where the Florida player pointed to a UT guy who promptly took a dive worthy of soccer? THEN, the Florida player got tossed. I guess the refs were mad at the poor acting or something. It was an egregious call. That ref needs to be fired IMHO.
I didn't see the play. Any link?
 

Jon

Hall of Fame
Feb 22, 2002
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I thought this was pretty bad and #19 Ruffin deserved a flag too. To me it looks like as soon as he noticed that the QBs helmet was off 19 lowers his head to grind his facemask against the QBs face

scummy play

 

B1GTide

TideFans Legend
Apr 13, 2012
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Don't make it an automatic ejection and people wouldn't have as much problem with it. Do it like the other personal fouls where if you get two you are out.
I like this idea, but would tweak it a bit. Each is a 15 yard personal foul. The first only counts as such, but the second in a season (even weeks later) results in an ejection, the third results in an ejection and a suspension of 4 games, a fourth and your season is over.
 

Crimson1967

Hall of Fame
Nov 22, 2011
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Maybe I'm naïve, but I don't think most players are out there trying to hurt somebody and a lot of these are just poor tackling skills. That being said, I support players being ejected for helmet to helmet hits. I would also like to see harsher punishment if it happens more than once in a season.
 

Special K

All-American
Feb 8, 2008
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I thought this was pretty bad and #19 Ruffin deserved a flag too. To me it looks like as soon as he noticed that the QBs helmet was off 19 lowers his head to grind his facemask against the QBs face

scummy play

Agree 100% and said the same thing when I saw it. Both guys should have been flagged.
 

Krymsonman

Hall of Fame
Sep 1, 2009
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Now this the writer says was a missed call but I think this one is a good no call, reason being the runner wasn't defenseless. In fact the runner was juking the defender.
I thought it was a good no call. The defender didn't really seem to launch himself, and it looked like he went in facemask up, didn't lower the crown of the helmet. Krymsonman
 

colbysullivan

Hall of Fame
Dec 12, 2007
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The problem is no one can agree on what is and what isn't targeting. Some hits are clearly targeting yet no penalty is called. Other ones are just aggressive tackles but they eject the guy anyway.

I mean think about it, any time there is a game thread going on (that doesn't involve Bama) about half the folks on this board say it's targeting, and the other half disagrees.

The rule clearly states "When in doubt, it IS targeting" but they aren't enforcing it that way.
 
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colbysullivan

Hall of Fame
Dec 12, 2007
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Now this the writer says was a missed call but I think this one is a good no call, reason being the runner wasn't defenseless. In fact the runner was juking the defender.
I've seen way worse plays that weren't called. The one on Jalen might have been the worst one I've ever seen, other than the LSU one that hit Norwood late in the game in 2013.
 

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