Eagles frustrated, confused by new helmet rule | NFL

From what is a catch to what is a legal, or illegal hit, the newest NFL rules have come under fire from the Super Bowl 52 champions.

In a presentation this week, NFL referees visited the Eagles to educate them on the new helmet rule. But even the referees themselves ended up confused, ESPN reported.

In an effort to highlight the rule — in which a player can be penalized 15 yards and be potentially fined or ejected for lowering his head against when initiating or making contact with an opponent  — videos were shown to players in the hour-long meeting. Those videos were supposed to clarify what would now be considered illegal hits but for some players, the hits looked like routine tackles.

“We were trying to ask questions to get a better understanding, and yet they couldn’t really give us an answer,” linebacker Nigel Bradham said, via ESPN. “They couldn’t give us what we were looking for.”

The Eagles attempted to clear up their confusion in a Q&A period that followed the presentation. A video played showing Malcolm Jenkins’ hit on wide receiver Brandin Cooks during Philadelphia’s 41-33 victory in the Super Bowl. But when the video was shown, the referees were split on whether said hit would be considered illegal.

“I’m going to make that play 10 times out of 10. If it’s a flag, it’s a flag,” Jenkins said after practice Sunday, via ESPN. “You can’t slow yourself down thinking about rules in a split second. The game happens really, really fast, faster than the rules, I think, take account for, but I won’t let it affect the way I play.”

Malcolm Jenkins’ hit on Brandin Cooks in Super Bowl is now considered illegal by some refs under new rule: pic.twitter.com/69l6ilWUou

— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) July 29, 2018

Other players have sounded off about the NFL rule changes, most notably Richard Sherman and Josh Norman.

“It’s ridiculous,” Sherman told USA Today in March when the rule was approved unanimously by the owners. “Like telling a driver if you touch the lane lines, you’re getting a ticket. (It’s) gonna lead to more lower-extremity injuries.”

Norman added, via USA Today: “I don’t know how you’re going to play the game,” he said. “If your helmet comes in contact? How are you going to avoid that if you’re in the trenches and hit a running back, face mask to face mask and accidentally graze the helmet? It’s obviously going to happen. So, I don’t know even what that definition looks like.”