2 replies to this topic

[da hawaiian]

A reciever lined up outside the tackle box goes into motion towards the ball. By the time the ball is snapped let's say he's now behind the tackle. Can he block below the waist?

My next question is where can below the waist blocks be applied? And is there a difference between UIL's allowable area for this type of block compared to other states?

[TXMike]

A reciever lined up outside the tackle box goes into motion towards the ball. By the time the ball is snapped let's say he's now behind the tackle. Can he block below the waist?

My next question is where can below the waist blocks be applied? And is there a difference between UIL's allowable area for this type of block compared to other states?

UIL football is played under NCAA rules and there are only 2 states where NCAA rules are used for HS football, us and Mass. One of the major areas of difference between the NCAA rules and the Natl Federation of HS Assns (NFHS) rules used by the other 48 states is the blocking below the waist (BBW).

When looking at the BBW rules, you have to differentiate between simple BBW and BBW "towards the position of the ball at the snap." The back in motion can BBW but he canNOT BBW back towards where the ball was at the snap. If the force of the block is straight upfield, it is legal. If back in towards the ball (like a "crackback") it is illegal. Generally speaking BBW is legal in our game but there are some times when it is not, i.e. after a turnover, duing a kick play down, etc etc.

[da hawaiian]

There's alot of discussion going on regarding OOS games and so naturally the question that arises is - is the allowable area for below the waist blocks larger in Texas than in other states? And how big is that area here in Texas vs a state that abides by NFHS rules?