Pereira Discusses Quarterback “Strike Zone”

In a Wednesday morning spot on The Dan Patrick Show, NFL V.P. of officiating Mike Pereira talked about the new rule that prevents players who are on the ground from lunging or rolling at the legs of a quarterback. Pereira explained that the revision actually constitutes a “clarification” of the existing rule, and he suggested that the action already was intended to be a foul but hadn’t previously been applied that way. The move was a reaction to the low hit in Week One on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, which occurred when Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard wiggled away from a block by Sammy Morris, which had put him on the ground, and then dove at Brady’s leg. The resulting hit blew apart Brady’s left knee. So, moving forward, if a defensive player is on the ground and if he lunges or rolls at the quarterback’s legs in a manner that involves a forcible hit with the helmet or shoulder, a penatly will be called -- and a fine undoubtedly will be imposed. That said, defensive players are still permitted to hit a quarterback low if the defender is coming off a block, just as Kimo von Oelhoffen did more than three years ago, when he blew up Carson Palmer’s plant knee early in a playoff game. The defensive player also can use his arms or hands to grab a quarterback’s legs and attempt to pull him down, whether the player is on the ground or not. But, as Pereira explained it, there’s now a “strike zone” on quarterbacks that extends from below the neck to above the knee. Free-agent safety Rodney Harrison appeared after Pereira, and Harrison said he doesn’t like the new rule at all. “You’ve got to continue to finish the play,” Harrison said, adding that football players are taught to “finish the play” from grade school on. “You’re making the game soft,” Harrison said. Harrison, who played for the Patriots when Tom Brady was injured, also explained that he thinks Brady would be opposed to the change in the rules.