Not at all. The intention is to reduce injury, not pain. These are some of the biggest and fastest people on the planet and they run into each other at full speed. Anyone that argues the pads make the sport soft is flat out ignorant of how violent the hits are.
@@InfiniteKhaos Yeah, the pads were originally meant for protection, but it's clear players quickly figured out that they're more effective as weapons than protection devices
Pads and helmets aside. These guys hit each other so hard it's like two cars colliding. A few Rugby players have made the cut in the NFL, the NFL looks all around the world for anyone who they think can make it. It's a whole different animal. Even with the rule changes it's a very violent sport.
Fact of the matter is pads make people MORE reckless. In rugby without padding, the responsibility is on the player to tackle safely because there's nothing to aid them. In football, people feel like they're wearing armor so they're less concerned with their safety.
I saw an interview with Terry Bradshaw one time, he spoke about the size of some of the largest players, saying taking a full speed hit from one of those guys is like getting hit with a coke machine
@@rukysgream Football players are all insanely athletic as well. Soccer players are lean, hockey players are big and stocky. Football players are big, stocky, lean, fast and strong. Wide receivers tend to be above 6'5 in the NFL, and they're the quick nimble guys.
If football was played without helmets it would become less of a collision sport. The false security that a helmet offers is what gives guys the boldness to make these kinds of violent plays.
@@danielhowell167 nah helmets are an outgrowth of the game they didn't used to wear them then they wore padded leather caps then hard helmets with face protection same with the other pads they wear.
@@danielhowell167 Thats factually incorrect. "The spear tackle technique predates the introduction of helmets in football. It was used even before protective headgear became standard equipment. However, the technique was eventually banned due to safety concerns, especially after the introduction of helmets."
Hits on a defenseless player is illegal now, helmet to helmet contact is illegal now, targeting ( also known as intentionally throwing a shoulder into the helmet) is illegal now. That last one is what caused most of the helmet pops.
There was some holding and pass interference in there too. But they're just seeing how far they can push the nebulous line between blocking and tackling.
Doctors have repeatedly said tackles in American football are the equivalent of some car accidents. I like rugby. But it's definitely not the same universe
In South Dakota we have nine man football because a lot of schools aren’t big enough to field 11 men consistently. A team we played had to forfeit there next game because of broken bones received by one guy on kick returns. Their qb finished the game with a broken collar bone.
@@9BallBory Thanks for making me recheck the numbers. Your point is still invalid but Rugby and Football are closer than I knew. "FloRugby reported that the average weight of a pack was 313 lbs (142.1 kg), while the average weight of backs was 263 lbs (119.4 kg)." "NFL offensive linemen have an average height of 6 feet 5 inches and an average weight of 312 pounds. NFL defensive linemen have an average height of 6 feet 3 inches and an average weight of 310 pounds. The average height of NFL linebackers is 6 feet 1 inch, and the average weight is 245 pounds."
9ballbory let’s see you put on pads and even get hit by high school kids. I got ground into the grass by 250-300 lineman even i high school. We had kids that could bench 380 and squat 600 lbs like emmitt smith even in high school. Been hit by truck? Yep bring it 🤨
I can't help but think the helmet limits vision and severely muffles' calls from both team members and opposition. Making situational awareness difficult.
@@tishbite606 There was lots of clips of high school and college plays. I've watched enough high school football clips to know that high school players are absolutely ruthless on their hits because they're out there trying to impress collegiate scouts, in hopes of getting a full ride scholarship from a top university. Collegiate players hit even harder because they want to impress pro scouts.
@@thomasmacdiarmid8251 There are high school and collegiate teams that have a tradition that at the final home game, tha quarterback, running backs, tight ends, receivers and defensive backfield select an offensive or defensive lineman to run the ball for a few plays or give them a chance to score a touchdown as a way to recognize their work on the line of protecting the offensive players or if they are defense in stopping their opponents from scoring.
Next you need to see "Best Jukes In Football History", "NFL's Most Athletic Plays Of All Time", "Barry Sanders 50 Most Ridiculous Plays Of All Time", and "The NFL Combine (2022, 2023, or 2024)" or such so that you can see the incredible size, strength, and athleticism of these remarkable athletes that play in the NFL.
I remember a sports science show that put measuring devices on athletes to determine the speed and force they either moved or hit with. Quentin Jammer, who played cornerback for the then-San Diego Chargers, was used to measure the impact of a football tackle. Jammer, who was about 6 feet tall and 204 lbs (93 kg), was able to deliver a tackle with a force of a car hitting a wall at 35 mph (56 kilometers/hour)
Some football players can run a 100m dash as fast or faster than people that do track, it’s kind of crazy to see a 250-300 pound dude rev up and start flying down the track 😂
We had a 300lb, 6'7" running back in high school who could have competed on the track team. The only time I've ever been knocked out was when I had to block that boy.
I sit here watching this now in my mid 50's with my feet propped up after a long day of work and look at the swollen knees and right ankle that now are arthritic because of old football injuries. And ya know what? I'd do it all again to play the greatest sport on the planet.
I’m mid 50s with knee and back problems.. I only played backyard football when in grade school. Wished I had played organized football. Instead it was soccer and baseball.
If I did not screw up my knees jumping out of trees, football did the rest of the job... LOL.. When I watch clips like this, the song " I am not as good as I once was." comes to mind... If you gave me a shot on a good tackle football with out pads, part of me would want to jump at it... The other part would be asking if I am nuts as my body couldn't take it.... BUT I WOULD BE TEMPED!!!! LOL
In my 30s, I still have a few scars from playing, straight up, no pads, and hurts, but you feel alive asf, we never go for the knee, just wist. Now, would I play it again, you bet!
Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski played tight end for the Patriots and said that it felt like he was in a car accident when every game ended. And he was 6’6” (1.98m) and 265 lbs (120 kg)
LOL I can attest to that!!!! I was on a kick off play, I shot the seam perfectly pulled 3 guys to block me.. Well they hit me about the same time and I was a ping pong in the middle of them 3.... BEST PLAY EVER... Tho I did need to shake my head clear a bit before I could walk.. LOL
4:45 There's a "targeting" rule in college football now - if you lead with your helmet into another guy's helmet, not only is it a 15-yard penalty and a first down, but you get ejected for the rest of the game and half of the following game.
This is also in the NFL and the UFL as well. They did that to try to reduce the number of concussions players are getting and it does help a little but not by much when you get hit head on by a 250 lb player running at 20 mph head on and your head hits the ground from a shoulder tackle.
The two hardest hitting teams in the 1970s were the Pittsburgh Steeler's and the Steel Curtain defense with Mean Joe Greene, and 1970s Oakland Raiders coached by John Madden. Back then even us high schooler's put a slobber knocker on our opponents.
There’s a reason American Football players wear protective equipment. I remember back in the 80s when a bunch of rugby players were making fun of NFL players for wearing pads & helmets….but they never really watched American Football. And they’re hitting harder now than they did back then.
1:54 what made that hit even more... rude so to say. This was during the Pro Bowl, the, at the time, End of the Year All-Star Game in Hawaii. usually the players didn't hit this hard. but the Late Sean Taylor (the player making the hit) only had one gear and that was "Go!"
@@rancidmarmot1994 Yeah, him and Night Train Lane were infamous for the facemask grabs. Lane was also notorious for the forearm shiver, which is clearly demonstrated at 1:18, although I can't identify the players involved.
@r.awilliams9815 Yeah, Night Train was a wrecking ball! Those were the good ol days back before they forced defenses to treat quarterbacks like ballerinas.
As a Nebraska fan, I still love that Kenny Bell’s block against Wisconsin (I think the second or third clip) is included. These guys are in UNIVERSITY and hitting this hard. And that play, although called in the game as a penalty, was still completely legal.
There are a few different rules in place now. No Crack Back blocks (Hitting a players blind side), No hitting a "Defenseless" player(WR in the air unable to protect themselves) now they also have a new rule No Hip Drop Tackle. Basically you cant pull the guy to the ground from behind. Personally they are starting to put to much of the game in the Ref's hands and forcing them to make the very difficult game changing calls. In my opinion and from playing tackle football, you know what you signed on for. It's a hard hitting, fierce, adrenaline and emotion filled sport lets keep it that way.
@@mainlyyogurt You can make the "Saftey" argument for almost any tackle or hit. Why now? Why not have a rule like that years ago after LT broke Thieismann's leg with a tackle from behind? The Ref's are having a hard enough time with the rules that are in place now. Or did you not watch last season? I get trying to limit head an neck injures but if a defensive player is chasing down the ball carrier what do you except the defensive player to do? Teleport in front of the guy and tackle him? Dive at his ankles? Dive at his knees? Or just give up on the play lol?
Crack back isn't a players blind side. That is still 100% legal. A crack back is when the player blocking is moving towards their own goal line. Like a receiver hitting someone backwards rather then laterally or pushing them forward. Hence the term "crack back"
@@TheBalty Not your bad. I don't think the refs understand the rules either lol. With that being said I hope they find a way to make it easier, people don't want to watch something that makes no sense. It only makes sense to me because I've been watching for 30+ years. Refs have no excuse for getting as many calls wrong as they do.
I used to play in High School, and the worst hits are definitely the blindsided hits! You go up to catch the ball and then getting hit hard is pretty jarring! You gotta have the courage to go for it and the strength to hang on to the ball!
When they lower their helmet to tackle someone head first are the scariest ones. That’s when players end up paralyzed or worse. I was watching the lions and jets when Reggie Brown was injured. It was so bad, they had to preform CPR on him to save his life.
"I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately. Unless it was, you know, important-like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus, Chicago Bears, often considered one of the best linebackers in history
Years back after high school. Some buddies played for UK and Ohio State. They came home we got together and played touch football. Touch became contact. It's like getting hit by a S-10 truck.
You'd be surprised how many of those guys who get knocked down, just get up and head back to the huddle. Also, these guys may bigger because of all the pads, but even without the pads these guys are still massive. During the off season. they will spend hours in the weight rooms adding 20 to 30+ pounds in muscle weight..
I played Football, defensive lineman, I can tell you at the end of the game it often felt like I had been in a car accident. I injured my knees several times. Had to have a couple knee surgeries and still have knee problems. I really miss playing though, I would do it all over again if I could.
The fact that there are guys that are big enough and strong enough to just catch 200 pounds coming at full running force, and just throw them down is spooky
Ok, so I am an American who played football in high school rugby in college in the 90's. From my experience you get bigger hits in football as players use the pads and helmets as weapons. That being said rugby can be a more brutal game, it's more like group wrestling,. Football is a swift strike, where rugby is a long battle. The day after football you felt like you had been in a car accident, the day after rugby you felt like the car dragged you down the road. I loved both games..
Agree....played a lot more Football than Rugby. Rugby has a ton of constant movement like Soccer...Football has breaks...and thats why Football hits have more energy behind them. I did notice playing Rugby that...without the Pads...people did tend to get Hurt way more when over doing it...I avoided Injury playing Rugby because I understood how to hit someone at full speed with Pads on...and knew when to back off to avoid injury.....LOVE BOTH SPORTS!
I have only played American Football, as a kid into my 20's I wish I got the chance to learn Rugby as it looks FUN!!!! Now at 40 years old, lol my body just dose not have that drive to take the impacts... Sighs....
They introduced rugby as an intramural sport at my college while I was there. Most of the players had played football in high school. The first set of games involved numerous broken collarbones and dislocated shoulders. The school had to go back and train us to do proper rugby tackles as opposed to what we were trained to do in football. Both sports are brutal in their own way and good fun.
@@billionear Not at all....In Fact...Rugby Players know and understand how to Tackle better without Injuring yourself NOT WEARING PADS....and I would say the same about NFL players WEARING PADS....it's tit for tat...I respect both sports...sorry if I said otherwise...Cheers!
LMAO! This mans really said "They're padded. They're fine" LOLOLOL. Those pads dont mean much when the other dude is padded and running full tilt my boy. I'd love to see any pro rugby player pad up against a COLLEGE linebacker. Instant death.
3:55 That play is one of the best plays in College Football history. Refs gave Michigan a first down when they clearly shouldn’t have, then that play happened. Ball don’t lie.
I would think most of these hits are older. Lots of rule changes to protect the players have been implemented but boys will be boys and it’s still American football!
What's crazy is.. these aren't even the hardest ones I've seen. - Kyle Fuller lays the wood on Ke'Shawn Vaughn (look that up) - Wilber Marshall big hit on Lions QB Joe Ferguson (thought it killed him) - Lawrence Taylor ending Joe Theisman's career....
Remember playing football when young with no pads. Just had to restrain from injuring someone. Could put them in pain but do best to not injury someone.
Football has changed a lot in the past decade to emphasize player safety. Most of those tackles are no longer legal. The NFL has had some illegal tackles for multiple decades like the face mask and horse collar tackles, which are famous for causing neck and knee problems respectfully. Some positions have additional protects like the Quarterback and Kicker where you cannot tackle them below the knees or target the head. The NFL has also introduced defenseless receiver rules you cannot hit receivers before the ball has arrived and the hit cannot be too hard. Just this year, the NFL has banned what is called a hip drop tackle where you wrap up the ball carrier and drop your weight because it may cause ligament damage. If all this sounds vague, it is because it is. There is a challenge of balancing safety yet still letting the players play. Part of the problem of limiting tackles is a yard (meter) is like life and death in football. It is the difference between a punt and a first down and has led to a different and more dangerous tackling philosophy compared to rugby where a meter doesn't mean that much. This is by no means comprehensive but hope it helps.
I’m not sure if this is mentioned elsewhere in the comments but it is important to understand that a lot of these plays are now illegal in the rules of American football. Any kind of contact initiated with the head of the defender or directed towards the head of an offensive player is now illegal. Blindside hits by blockers against defenders are also illegal in many cases. There is no place in the sport for these kinds of dangerous (and in almost every case unnecessary) plays. I grew up as a kid enamored with these kinds of hits and played with lots of tenacity and aggression in my 12 year playing career, but there is far too much evidence that points to the devastating long-term consequences of brain trauma in football. I still love a good violent tackle/block but when it is performed in a way that is safe for both players. Cheers!
Helmet to helmet, launching and Horsecollar tackles are all illegal. The horsecollar is the most likely to cause injury though and has ended a lot of ppls careers not just in the NFL but in all ages. Its a ACL killer.
And this is why football generates so many players with CTE, those pads and helmets just incentivize them to crash in at full speed because "I'm safe and that's all that matters" whereas rugby has the implicit mentality to slowdown or brace yourself somewhat before impact
If the target doesn't have the ball, the guy hitting him is technically "blocking." The idea is that the tackler's guy has the ball, and the tacklee might be trying to (or might eventually, possibly in a different game... :) ) tackle the ball-carrier, so a guy on the ball-carrier's team takes him out before he can. If you watch more of this stuff, every now and then you'll see the guy with the ball running with a couple of his own guys near him, and the commentators will say he "has an entourage." Those guys are supposed stick near him to block or tackle anyone who might be going after the guy with the ball. Same idea.
95% are illegal these days or were illegal even when they happened. That being said hits still get savage in the leagues because people have gotten stronger and faster.
Dangerous tackles in football is leading with the head, that's why they changed it to tackle with your shoulder. This was most likely due to spinal injuries and to prevent the target from getting either knocked out from a head-to-head tackle or more damage from a head-to-chest.
NFL hospital passes, and NFL cheap shots, and or NFL ejections MLB head shots. Some of those pitches are over 90 miles an hour and I believe there is INE head shot ball to bat then ball to pitchers head at 104 miles per hour. Also look into these NFL players, Larry Alen, Lyle Alzado, Lawrence Taylor, Bill Romanowski, and Bo Jackson.
I suppose that answers the question of why they wear the pads and crash helmets... Doing the math, a collision between the top running back in the NFL and the top linebacker would, to someone stationary, feel like 200 kg (440 lbs.) hitting them at about 9 m/s (30 ft./s). That's an incredible amount of punishment.
a lot of those hits, especially in college, are flagged for making contact with the crown of their helmet now.( and some are legal but sometimes called cuz refs throwing flag when there shouldn't be and it's not reviewable/changable
Check out "Lyle Ozado" Defensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders, he was an Animal. Lotta vids of his work, if you were the QB you better hide! Depends on the year, always changes. You get there same time as the ball, u call that one!
As I'm sure its mentioned somewhere else in this comment thread... The pads football players wear... AREN'T to protect the players GETTING hit... The pads are to protect the people HITTING... Think of them like boxing gloves... They were originally created to keep the opponent from getting hurt from the punches in boxing matches... But of course the person wearing the gloves quickly realized THEY could in fact hit HARDER with the gloves...
There are quite a few rules concerning dangerous tackles and many of these plays would be flagged today. On a pass you cannot hit the intended receiver until they have the ball and make a “football move”. There are also certain types of tackles that are prohibited, but the penalty would be something like a horse collar (pulling a player down by grabbing inside of the back of the pads). As for hits off the ball, those are blocks and as long as they are part of the play perfectly legal - blocking someone no longer involved in the play is not.
Not true at all. A receiver doesn't have to make a "football move" before he can be hit... That's part of the criteria to rule a pass a catch. Receivers can get smacked as soon as they touch the ball, there is no rule saying defenders haver to wait for them to catch it...🤦🏼♂️ The amount of ignorance of people in this comment section is baffling.
The chinstraps on the helmets snap on and are designed to come off when a high level of force is applied in order to prevent serious neck injuries. That's why you see so many helmets come off in these "hard hits" videos.
We have an unnecessary roughness rule. There are various things that fall under said rule. Late hit out of bounds, roughing the passer, targeting (College Football), hitting with the crown of the helmet, helmet to helment against a defensless player, blindside block. A few others. Some of those hits on kick returners could have been avoided. Returners have the option to wave their hand above their head before the ball arrives, for a fair catch. They give up the ability to return the kick in return they don't get tackled. The play is over when they catch the ball. Also in the NFL and in High School, one can opt for a free kick after a fair catch. Those are VERY rare, and are most likely to happen at the end of a half, or a game. Last successful fair catch kick in the NFL was in the 1970s. If you didn't see a flag thrown, it was probably legal when the hit happened.
Some of the older hits are now penalties. Below the waist hits have tighter rules now. There is now a defenseless player penalty. The emphasis in teaching now is to tackle more like a rugby style tackle. Find the video of Earl Campbell just flattening defenders trying to tackle him.
Now you see why it is called the Grid Iron of Gladiators. (Next is Boxing/ UFC or hell even WWE with what they put their bodies thru). Even High School Football they start them hitting hard (especially back in the day). This is College and NFL.
I played 4 years of high school football, and 1 and 1/2 years of Div 3 college (for those not in the know, those will be colleges very few even knew existed and rarely if ever produce professional grade players, more like club players for a Euro equivalent) and the injuries and pain and surgeries I have had to correct all of it have been brutal. Knee surgery twice, 3 vertebra fused in my lower back, shoulder surgery. All tied to injuries from playing the game 28 years ago....and I wasn't even very good...I just was one of those guys who didn't mind sacrificing my body for results, until my knee and back finally forced me to walk away. If i knew then what i know now....
Growing up I’d always hear Athletes (primarily NOT from the United States) ‘drone-on’ about “yeah, but WE don’t wear Pads!”💪🏻 Tell me…would YOU want to NOT want to be wearing Pads?!🤷🏻♂️ It’s like when John Wayne [in Ireland watching a Hurling game] was asked “would you like to be out there with one of those (a Hurley) in your hand?” His Reply? 💁🏻♂️ “Well I sure-as-hell wouldn’t like to be out there WITHOUT one!”
Heh, if you played football like football is played without pads and a helmet, you're probably leaving in an ambulance. I'd give most people 3-4 good hard shoulder tackles before something comes apart, too... there'd be an absolute rash of broken collarbones, dislocations, and torn up joints. EDIT: The main point is that the pads aren't so much "padding" as they are force distribution so all the weight of the 240 pound guy you just slammed into at full pace isn't bearing down on a small single point of contact. You get a hip bone or shoulder on top of your clavicle with that kind of force and it'll snap like a stick.
The days of the "Big Boys" has largely faded in the era of more mobility, but you only need to look back into the 1980's at William "The Refrigerator" Perry, who at 6'2" and 335lbs was one of the largest to play as a full-back and did well as a defensive lineman. In one play as a fullback covering for Walter Payton, he actually picked up Payton when he had gotten bogged down in the coverage and carried him a ways until the play was blown dead as he was not allowed to do that.
The biggest difference between Football and Rugby is blocking is allowed in Football. So you have to work at tackling as a defender. Because the team with the ball is looking to serve your head on a platter. And vice versa. Also When I watch Rugby it’s like watching a prevent defense. Because they have four try’s to make a try line. In Football you have to guard the end zone AND the 1st down marker. 4 downs to go ten yards and the chains reset. And the team marches down the field. And then of course the forward pass…..
A lot of these are called "blindside blocks", they aren't using their arms. As long as the blocker is in front of the other person, and set up far enough away, the other person doesn't have to see it coming. It's comparable to them running into a wall. A person catching a pass is open game when the ball hits his hands. Earliest years, they didn't even wear facemasks. Besides the "helmet area" is the "horsecollar tackle", grabbing the back of a jersey or the back of the shoulder pads and pulling down.
Recent changes to the rulez have made it so that you can only block by standing in front of a defender. A defender may only touch a runners hip, and then only if it is obvious they a reaching for the flag.
Americans start playing tackle football at around 10-11 years old. Younger kids play "flag" football. No hits, pulling the ball carriers flag ends the play.
Those pads don’t make getting hit by 300lbs of muscle hurt much less.
Not at all. The intention is to reduce injury, not pain. These are some of the biggest and fastest people on the planet and they run into each other at full speed. Anyone that argues the pads make the sport soft is flat out ignorant of how violent the hits are.
Pads actually make the players feel like they can hit you harder
I would say they make it hurt more. If only because without them on some of these you'd never feel pain again.
HOTTY TODDY
@@InfiniteKhaos Yeah, the pads were originally meant for protection, but it's clear players quickly figured out that they're more effective as weapons than protection devices
Pads and helmets aside. These guys hit each other so hard it's like two cars colliding. A few Rugby players have made the cut in the NFL, the NFL looks all around the world for anyone who they think can make it. It's a whole different animal. Even with the rule changes it's a very violent sport.
As the old adage goes… “rugby is a contact sport - football is a collision sport.” The contact in football can be absolute violence sometimes.
Fact of the matter is pads make people MORE reckless. In rugby without padding, the responsibility is on the player to tackle safely because there's nothing to aid them. In football, people feel like they're wearing armor so they're less concerned with their safety.
I saw an interview with Terry Bradshaw one time, he spoke about the size of some of the largest players, saying taking a full speed hit from one of those guys is like getting hit with a coke machine
@@rukysgream Football players are all insanely athletic as well. Soccer players are lean, hockey players are big and stocky. Football players are big, stocky, lean, fast and strong. Wide receivers tend to be above 6'5 in the NFL, and they're the quick nimble guys.
It's like 2 cars colliding at about 2 mph.
Rugby is a contact sport; Football is a collision sport.
If football was played without helmets it would become less of a collision sport. The false security that a helmet offers is what gives guys the boldness to make these kinds of violent plays.
@@danielhowell167 nah helmets are an outgrowth of the game they didn't used to wear them then they wore padded leather caps then hard helmets with face protection same with the other pads they wear.
@@charlesvincent4127 they also didn’t used to have spear tackles, until helmets w/ facemasks were introduced..
@@danielhowell167 Thats factually incorrect.
"The spear tackle technique predates the introduction of helmets in football. It was used even before protective headgear became standard equipment. However, the technique was eventually banned due to safety concerns, especially after the introduction of helmets."
@@charlesvincent4127 I’m sorry I should have been more specific. I meant head-driven contact directed at the head of an opposing player.
These hits were mostly legal when they took place, but direct head to head hits in the open field are no longer allowed.
Same for a lot of the hits on a defenseless receiver in this compilation, they're all blatantly illegal now.
But..with that said..they still happen, a lot.
Hits on a defenseless player is illegal now, helmet to helmet contact is illegal now, targeting ( also known as intentionally throwing a shoulder into the helmet) is illegal now. That last one is what caused most of the helmet pops.
There was some holding and pass interference in there too. But they're just seeing how far they can push the nebulous line between blocking and tackling.
Still happening though they just get penalized 😂
Doctors have repeatedly said tackles in American football are the equivalent of some car accidents. I like rugby. But it's definitely not the same universe
@@PhraterOx The daughters are probably stronger too...
@@PhraterOxwho’s average size is that? Neither nfl or rugby have the avg weight even close to 300. Rugby is smaller than nfl but neither are that bog
In South Dakota we have nine man football because a lot of schools aren’t big enough to field 11 men consistently. A team we played had to forfeit there next game because of broken bones received by one guy on kick returns. Their qb finished the game with a broken collar bone.
@@9BallBory
Thanks for making me recheck the numbers. Your point is still invalid but Rugby and Football are closer than I knew.
"FloRugby reported that the average weight of a pack was 313 lbs (142.1 kg), while the average weight of backs was 263 lbs (119.4 kg)."
"NFL offensive linemen have an average height of 6 feet 5 inches and an average weight of 312 pounds. NFL defensive linemen have an average height of 6 feet 3 inches and an average weight of 310 pounds. The average height of NFL linebackers is 6 feet 1 inch, and the average weight is 245 pounds."
9ballbory let’s see you put on pads and even get hit by high school kids. I got ground into the grass by 250-300 lineman even i high school. We had kids that could bench 380 and squat 600 lbs like emmitt smith even in high school. Been hit by truck? Yep bring it 🤨
As an American who grew up playing football. Those pads are weapons more than actual protection.
i tell people this all the time. the pads do not take away the pain.
They give false sense of security and incentive these hits
I can't help but think the helmet limits vision and severely muffles' calls from both team members and opposition. Making situational awareness difficult.
@@billionear the helmet limits the vision some but hearing isnt a problem as there are ear holes in the side of the helmet.
This a mix of all American Football. It is not just the NFL.
@@tishbite606 There was lots of clips of high school and college plays. I've watched enough high school football clips to know that high school players are absolutely ruthless on their hits because they're out there trying to impress collegiate scouts, in hopes of getting a full ride scholarship from a top university. Collegiate players hit even harder because they want to impress pro scouts.
Are you sure?? That clip with the 5 year olds playing is making me question your comment. 🤔🤔
That big chunk of a guy who was lumbering along like a tank would never be that round in the NFL. Even Refrigerator Perry was thinner than that.
@@thomasmacdiarmid8251 There are high school and collegiate teams that have a tradition that at the final home game, tha quarterback, running backs, tight ends, receivers and defensive backfield select an offensive or defensive lineman to run the ball for a few plays or give them a chance to score a touchdown as a way to recognize their work on the line of protecting the offensive players or if they are defense in stopping their opponents from scoring.
@mikea2715 the Pop Warner clip is my favorite in the video.
You're right about the knees. Many a player's career has ended by a shot to the knees.
Next you need to see "Best Jukes In Football History", "NFL's Most Athletic Plays Of All Time", "Barry Sanders 50 Most Ridiculous Plays Of All Time", and "The NFL Combine (2022, 2023, or 2024)" or such so that you can see the incredible size, strength, and athleticism of these remarkable athletes that play in the NFL.
Yes, this. The Jukes and Athletic Plays videos are both awesome. :)
Definitely
"Best Jukes In Football History" is one of the best videos
Man, Barry was so good, some Bo Jackson too. we where so lucky to see these men play.
@@elijahfoster2 A fair number of clips from "Barry Sanders 50 Most Ridiculous Plays Of All Time" wound up in this video... he was the juke master!
I remember a sports science show that put measuring devices on athletes to determine the speed and force they either moved or hit with. Quentin Jammer, who played cornerback for the then-San Diego Chargers, was used to measure the impact of a football tackle. Jammer, who was about 6 feet tall and 204 lbs (93 kg), was able to deliver a tackle with a force of a car hitting a wall at 35 mph (56 kilometers/hour)
Do you know what that episode was called or what the show was called cause I very much want to watch that.
Some football players can run a 100m dash as fast or faster than people that do track, it’s kind of crazy to see a 250-300 pound dude rev up and start flying down the track 😂
We had a 300lb, 6'7" running back in high school who could have competed on the track team. The only time I've ever been knocked out was when I had to block that boy.
I sit here watching this now in my mid 50's with my feet propped up after a long day of work and look at the swollen knees and right ankle that now are arthritic because of old football injuries. And ya know what? I'd do it all again to play the greatest sport on the planet.
Yea my right knee is old football injury, I was walking across the yard and stepped on a football 🏈 😂
I’m mid 50s with knee and back problems.. I only played backyard football when in grade school. Wished I had played organized football. Instead it was soccer and baseball.
If I did not screw up my knees jumping out of trees, football did the rest of the job... LOL.. When I watch clips like this, the song " I am not as good as I once was." comes to mind... If you gave me a shot on a good tackle football with out pads, part of me would want to jump at it... The other part would be asking if I am nuts as my body couldn't take it.... BUT I WOULD BE TEMPED!!!! LOL
Surprisingly my knees are a okay lol, my back on the other hand is a different story. But yea if I could I’d go back and do it all over again
In my 30s, I still have a few scars from playing, straight up, no pads, and hurts, but you feel alive asf, we never go for the knee, just wist. Now, would I play it again, you bet!
Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski played tight end for the Patriots and said that it felt like he was in a car accident when every game ended. And he was 6’6” (1.98m) and 265 lbs (120 kg)
JJ Watt said he misses playing, and that feeling on gameday before kickoff, but he doesn't miss the pain on the next day and the day after
"His helmet came off."
As long as his head wasn't in it, everything is fine.
LOL I can attest to that!!!! I was on a kick off play, I shot the seam perfectly pulled 3 guys to block me.. Well they hit me about the same time and I was a ping pong in the middle of them 3.... BEST PLAY EVER... Tho I did need to shake my head clear a bit before I could walk.. LOL
4:45 There's a "targeting" rule in college football now - if you lead with your helmet into another guy's helmet, not only is it a 15-yard penalty and a first down, but you get ejected for the rest of the game and half of the following game.
First half of the next game, only if the penalty occurred during the second half of the game being played.
@@kylewood2715Okay, I thought it was the rest of the game, _plus_ the first half of the next game
This is also in the NFL and the UFL as well. They did that to try to reduce the number of concussions players are getting and it does help a little but not by much when you get hit head on by a 250 lb player running at 20 mph head on and your head hits the ground from a shoulder tackle.
@@drtidrow Depends on when it happened. But you were both right to a degree
Excellent!! A lot of that footage was older, stuff you couldn't get by with now, but it sure was fun to watch! Roll Tide!!
These types of hits have been regulated out of the game due to the concussion implications. They rarely happen anymore.
Pads are just as much for protection as they are for hitting even harder.
It's amazing to me how most people never realize the pads and helmets are weapons, not protection
Broke 5 sets of shoulder pads, and cracked 3 helmets when I played!! Soooo much fun!! 😁😁🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
The two hardest hitting teams in the 1970s were the Pittsburgh Steeler's and the Steel Curtain defense with Mean Joe Greene, and 1970s Oakland Raiders coached by John Madden. Back then even us high schooler's put a slobber knocker on our opponents.
Tatum.
@@Kevin-i6t5i The Assassin!
@@bbqujeh for sure, I was skeered just watching that dude on TV 😄
"Mad Man" Jack Lambert
They literally had to change and make new rules cause of the Steel Curtain. I am a proud Steelers fan.
There’s a reason American Football players wear protective equipment. I remember back in the 80s when a bunch of rugby players were making fun of NFL players for wearing pads & helmets….but they never really watched American Football. And they’re hitting harder now than they did back then.
American football is a collision sport.
1:54 what made that hit even more... rude so to say. This was during the Pro Bowl, the, at the time, End of the Year All-Star Game in Hawaii. usually the players didn't hit this hard. but the Late Sean Taylor (the player making the hit) only had one gear and that was "Go!"
That face mask around 1:45 actually used to be legal back then: one player abused it so much though that they made it illegal
Dick Butkus! He was an absolute animal and one of my all-time favorites!
@@rancidmarmot1994 Yeah, him and Night Train Lane were infamous for the facemask grabs. Lane was also notorious for the forearm shiver, which is clearly demonstrated at 1:18, although I can't identify the players involved.
@r.awilliams9815 Yeah, Night Train was a wrecking ball! Those were the good ol days back before they forced defenses to treat quarterbacks like ballerinas.
This was everything from peewee meaning kids to high school college and nfl
As a Nebraska fan, I still love that Kenny Bell’s block against Wisconsin (I think the second or third clip) is included. These guys are in UNIVERSITY and hitting this hard. And that play, although called in the game as a penalty, was still completely legal.
There are a few different rules in place now. No Crack Back blocks (Hitting a players blind side), No hitting a "Defenseless" player(WR in the air unable to protect themselves) now they also have a new rule No Hip Drop Tackle. Basically you cant pull the guy to the ground from behind. Personally they are starting to put to much of the game in the Ref's hands and forcing them to make the very difficult game changing calls. In my opinion and from playing tackle football, you know what you signed on for. It's a hard hitting, fierce, adrenaline and emotion filled sport lets keep it that way.
they are trying to prevent potential life changing injuries like severe leg breaks and tendon and ligament tears. its a saftey thing man
@@mainlyyogurt You can make the "Saftey" argument for almost any tackle or hit. Why now? Why not have a rule like that years ago after LT broke Thieismann's leg with a tackle from behind? The Ref's are having a hard enough time with the rules that are in place now. Or did you not watch last season? I get trying to limit head an neck injures but if a defensive player is chasing down the ball carrier what do you except the defensive player to do? Teleport in front of the guy and tackle him? Dive at his ankles? Dive at his knees? Or just give up on the play lol?
Crack back isn't a players blind side. That is still 100% legal. A crack back is when the player blocking is moving towards their own goal line. Like a receiver hitting someone backwards rather then laterally or pushing them forward. Hence the term "crack back"
@@InfiniteKhaos yup your right my bad. Shit gets confusing man lol
@@TheBalty Not your bad. I don't think the refs understand the rules either lol. With that being said I hope they find a way to make it easier, people don't want to watch something that makes no sense. It only makes sense to me because I've been watching for 30+ years. Refs have no excuse for getting as many calls wrong as they do.
I used to play in High School, and the worst hits are definitely the blindsided hits! You go up to catch the ball and then getting hit hard is pretty jarring! You gotta have the courage to go for it and the strength to hang on to the ball!
When they lower their helmet to tackle someone head first are the scariest ones. That’s when players end up paralyzed or worse. I was watching the lions and jets when Reggie Brown was injured. It was so bad, they had to preform CPR on him to save his life.
"I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately. Unless it was, you know, important-like a league game or something."
- Dick Butkus, Chicago Bears, often considered one of the best linebackers in history
American football, the rebellious child of rugby.
A bunch of these are college and high school. Not to mention the peewee video 😂
Those high low tackles can be career Enders
There was I think a couple of times where players have died on field before, some have been revived but a few weren’t. Really sucks when that happens
Years back after high school. Some buddies played for UK and Ohio State. They came home we got together and played touch football. Touch became contact. It's like getting hit by a S-10 truck.
As kids, when we played this game without pads we called it 'Murder'.
You'd be surprised how many of those guys who get knocked down, just get up and head back to the huddle. Also, these guys may bigger because of all the pads, but even without the pads these guys are still massive. During the off season. they will spend hours in the weight rooms adding 20 to 30+ pounds in muscle weight..
Dope reaction man. Appreciate the energy!
I played Football, defensive lineman, I can tell you at the end of the game it often felt like I had been in a car accident. I injured my knees several times. Had to have a couple knee surgeries and still have knee problems.
I really miss playing though, I would do it all over again if I could.
The fact that there are guys that are big enough and strong enough to just catch 200 pounds coming at full running force, and just throw them down is spooky
Ok, so I am an American who played football in high school rugby in college in the 90's. From my experience you get bigger hits in football as players use the pads and helmets as weapons. That being said rugby can be a more brutal game, it's more like group wrestling,. Football is a swift strike, where rugby is a long battle. The day after football you felt like you had been in a car accident, the day after rugby you felt like the car dragged you down the road. I loved both games..
Agree....played a lot more Football than Rugby. Rugby has a ton of constant movement like Soccer...Football has breaks...and thats why Football hits have more energy behind them. I did notice playing Rugby that...without the Pads...people did tend to get Hurt way more when over doing it...I avoided Injury playing Rugby because I understood how to hit someone at full speed with Pads on...and knew when to back off to avoid injury.....LOVE BOTH SPORTS!
I have only played American Football, as a kid into my 20's I wish I got the chance to learn Rugby as it looks FUN!!!! Now at 40 years old, lol my body just dose not have that drive to take the impacts... Sighs....
They introduced rugby as an intramural sport at my college while I was there. Most of the players had played football in high school. The first set of games involved numerous broken collarbones and dislocated shoulders. The school had to go back and train us to do proper rugby tackles as opposed to what we were trained to do in football. Both sports are brutal in their own way and good fun.
@@jeffdegrande2620 You're basically saying rugby players don't know how to tackle.
@@billionear Not at all....In Fact...Rugby Players know and understand how to Tackle better without Injuring yourself NOT WEARING PADS....and I would say the same about NFL players WEARING PADS....it's tit for tat...I respect both sports...sorry if I said otherwise...Cheers!
There's ALOT more rules when it comes to tackling in the NFL then there was in the past 👌. . .
LMAO! This mans really said "They're padded. They're fine" LOLOLOL. Those pads dont mean much when the other dude is padded and running full tilt my boy. I'd love to see any pro rugby player pad up against a COLLEGE linebacker. Instant death.
3:55 That play is one of the best plays in College Football history. Refs gave Michigan a first down when they clearly shouldn’t have, then that play happened. Ball don’t lie.
I would think most of these hits are older. Lots of rule changes to protect the players have been implemented but boys will be boys and it’s still American football!
What's crazy is.. these aren't even the hardest ones I've seen.
- Kyle Fuller lays the wood on Ke'Shawn Vaughn (look that up)
- Wilber Marshall big hit on Lions QB Joe Ferguson (thought it killed him)
- Lawrence Taylor ending Joe Theisman's career....
@1:52, that punter is AUSTRALIAN TOO
I just watch this same video , one from England and this one from Australia this difference is Aussie's think it's just fireworks on a holiday.
“Up above the waist they’re padded they’re fine” unfortunately it barely helps when the dude that hits you is 6,2 plus 230 plus pounds.
There were twelve deaths a year playing American football before they introduced pads and helmets. The pads are necessary.
Remember playing football when young with no pads. Just had to restrain from injuring someone. Could put them in pain but do best to not injury someone.
Football has changed a lot in the past decade to emphasize player safety. Most of those tackles are no longer legal. The NFL has had some illegal tackles for multiple decades like the face mask and horse collar tackles, which are famous for causing neck and knee problems respectfully.
Some positions have additional protects like the Quarterback and Kicker where you cannot tackle them below the knees or target the head. The NFL has also introduced defenseless receiver rules you cannot hit receivers before the ball has arrived and the hit cannot be too hard.
Just this year, the NFL has banned what is called a hip drop tackle where you wrap up the ball carrier and drop your weight because it may cause ligament damage.
If all this sounds vague, it is because it is. There is a challenge of balancing safety yet still letting the players play. Part of the problem of limiting tackles is a yard (meter) is like life and death in football. It is the difference between a punt and a first down and has led to a different and more dangerous tackling philosophy compared to rugby where a meter doesn't mean that much.
This is by no means comprehensive but hope it helps.
I’m not sure if this is mentioned elsewhere in the comments but it is important to understand that a lot of these plays are now illegal in the rules of American football. Any kind of contact initiated with the head of the defender or directed towards the head of an offensive player is now illegal. Blindside hits by blockers against defenders are also illegal in many cases. There is no place in the sport for these kinds of dangerous (and in almost every case unnecessary) plays.
I grew up as a kid enamored with these kinds of hits and played with lots of tenacity and aggression in my 12 year playing career, but there is far too much evidence that points to the devastating long-term consequences of brain trauma in football. I still love a good violent tackle/block but when it is performed in a way that is safe for both players.
Cheers!
Biggest hit in my opinion is quintin coryatt, Texas A&M. Caused a jaw to be surgically shut for 3 months
Yikes
Helmet to helmet, launching and Horsecollar tackles are all illegal. The horsecollar is the most likely to cause injury though and has ended a lot of ppls careers not just in the NFL but in all ages. Its a ACL killer.
I forget who said it, but a former player said playing football is like getting into a car accident, each and every week.
And this is why football generates so many players with CTE, those pads and helmets just incentivize them to crash in at full speed because "I'm safe and that's all that matters" whereas rugby has the implicit mentality to slowdown or brace yourself somewhat before impact
Pretty much 100% of those hits are now illegal in most of the game now since concussions became serious.
This was old school football in US. Don't really see this much anymore
Some Canadian Football in there too. Most of these hits are illegal today. Too many brain injuries.
If the target doesn't have the ball, the guy hitting him is technically "blocking." The idea is that the tackler's guy has the ball, and the tacklee might be trying to (or might eventually, possibly in a different game... :) ) tackle the ball-carrier, so a guy on the ball-carrier's team takes him out before he can. If you watch more of this stuff, every now and then you'll see the guy with the ball running with a couple of his own guys near him, and the commentators will say he "has an entourage." Those guys are supposed stick near him to block or tackle anyone who might be going after the guy with the ball. Same idea.
Check out the ten scariest running backs and the strongest NFL players
None of these hits are legal in football anymore, unfortunately 😢😢😢
“Rugby is a contact sport, Football is a collision sport”.
95% are illegal these days or were illegal even when they happened. That being said hits still get savage in the leagues because people have gotten stronger and faster.
Worth mentioning: not all of these are the NFL. There’s college, high school and Pop Warner games in there.
I love these clips and rodeo clips.
Dangerous tackles in football is leading with the head, that's why they changed it to tackle with your shoulder. This was most likely due to spinal injuries and to prevent the target from getting either knocked out from a head-to-head tackle or more damage from a head-to-chest.
And sum people say rugby is more dangerous then NFL
NFL hospital passes, and NFL cheap shots, and or NFL ejections
MLB head shots. Some of those pitches are over 90 miles an hour and I believe there is INE head shot ball to bat then ball to pitchers head at 104 miles per hour.
Also look into these NFL players, Larry Alen, Lyle Alzado, Lawrence Taylor, Bill Romanowski, and Bo Jackson.
i counted 8 helmets knocked off of unfortunate heads. Anyone see more than that?
I suppose that answers the question of why they wear the pads and crash helmets... Doing the math, a collision between the top running back in the NFL and the top linebacker would, to someone stationary, feel like 200 kg (440 lbs.) hitting them at about 9 m/s (30 ft./s). That's an incredible amount of punishment.
0:32 I will never forget my boy Bam Bam hitting Vernon Davis so hard in the chest, Davis got a concussion.
a lot of those hits, especially in college, are flagged for making contact with the crown of their helmet now.( and some are legal but sometimes called cuz refs throwing flag when there shouldn't be and it's not reviewable/changable
just to let you know these are not all legal hits. some of them are very illegal.
Ya most of these are illegal hits by today's standards lol. But not all
Check out "Lyle Ozado" Defensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders, he was an Animal. Lotta vids of his work, if you were the QB you better hide! Depends on the year, always changes. You get there same time as the ball, u call that one!
SO MANY of these hits would not fly today.
As I'm sure its mentioned somewhere else in this comment thread... The pads football players wear... AREN'T to protect the players GETTING hit... The pads are to protect the people HITTING...
Think of them like boxing gloves... They were originally created to keep the opponent from getting hurt from the punches in boxing matches... But of course the person wearing the gloves quickly realized THEY could in fact hit HARDER with the gloves...
There are quite a few rules concerning dangerous tackles and many of these plays would be flagged today. On a pass you cannot hit the intended receiver until they have the ball and make a “football move”. There are also certain types of tackles that are prohibited, but the penalty would be something like a horse collar (pulling a player down by grabbing inside of the back of the pads). As for hits off the ball, those are blocks and as long as they are part of the play perfectly legal - blocking someone no longer involved in the play is not.
All the blocks wouldn’t be legal, crack back blocks aren’t allowed anymore.
I’ll rephrase, blind side crack back blocks. If they see you coming that’s fine lol
Not true at all. A receiver doesn't have to make a "football move" before he can be hit... That's part of the criteria to rule a pass a catch. Receivers can get smacked as soon as they touch the ball, there is no rule saying defenders haver to wait for them to catch it...🤦🏼♂️ The amount of ignorance of people in this comment section is baffling.
The chinstraps on the helmets snap on and are designed to come off when a high level of force is applied in order to prevent serious neck injuries. That's why you see so many helmets come off in these "hard hits" videos.
You’re no longer allowed to hit the head. They have stopped the receiver from being hit while reaching for a ball to catch.
We have an unnecessary roughness rule. There are various things that fall under said rule. Late hit out of bounds, roughing the passer, targeting (College Football), hitting with the crown of the helmet, helmet to helment against a defensless player, blindside block. A few others.
Some of those hits on kick returners could have been avoided. Returners have the option to wave their hand above their head before the ball arrives, for a fair catch. They give up the ability to return the kick in return they don't get tackled. The play is over when they catch the ball.
Also in the NFL and in High School, one can opt for a free kick after a fair catch. Those are VERY rare, and are most likely to happen at the end of a half, or a game. Last successful fair catch kick in the NFL was in the 1970s.
If you didn't see a flag thrown, it was probably legal when the hit happened.
Some of the older hits are now penalties. Below the waist hits have tighter rules now. There is now a defenseless player penalty. The emphasis in teaching now is to tackle more like a rugby style tackle.
Find the video of Earl Campbell just flattening defenders trying to tackle him.
Now you see why it is called the Grid Iron of Gladiators. (Next is Boxing/ UFC or hell even WWE with what they put their bodies thru). Even High School Football they start them hitting hard (especially back in the day). This is College and NFL.
I genuinely want to see rugby players versus American football players
Definitely react to a video about Ray Lewis or James Harrison! Two of the scariest linebackers of my generation.
Straight through and massive yeah man. I would say it’s a fun game to play but you watch this and my god
Yeah, most NFL players will say when you get tackled real good that it feels like you ran into a brick house at full speed.
Should check some of the Ray Lewis highlights. The man was an amazing player.
I know im late. There was some illegal hits in there. The rules have changed a bunch since concussions have become a major thing.
I played 4 years of high school football, and 1 and 1/2 years of Div 3 college (for those not in the know, those will be colleges very few even knew existed and rarely if ever produce professional grade players, more like club players for a Euro equivalent) and the injuries and pain and surgeries I have had to correct all of it have been brutal. Knee surgery twice, 3 vertebra fused in my lower back, shoulder surgery. All tied to injuries from playing the game 28 years ago....and I wasn't even very good...I just was one of those guys who didn't mind sacrificing my body for results, until my knee and back finally forced me to walk away. If i knew then what i know now....
90%(maybe more lol) of these tackles nowadays would result in a suspension and a huge fine, this era of football was brutal
Growing up I’d always hear Athletes (primarily NOT from the United States) ‘drone-on’ about “yeah, but WE don’t wear Pads!”💪🏻
Tell me…would YOU want to NOT want to be wearing Pads?!🤷🏻♂️
It’s like when John Wayne [in Ireland watching a Hurling game] was asked “would you like to be out there with one of those (a Hurley) in your hand?”
His Reply?
💁🏻♂️ “Well I sure-as-hell wouldn’t like to be out there WITHOUT one!”
Heh, if you played football like football is played without pads and a helmet, you're probably leaving in an ambulance. I'd give most people 3-4 good hard shoulder tackles before something comes apart, too... there'd be an absolute rash of broken collarbones, dislocations, and torn up joints.
EDIT: The main point is that the pads aren't so much "padding" as they are force distribution so all the weight of the 240 pound guy you just slammed into at full pace isn't bearing down on a small single point of contact. You get a hip bone or shoulder on top of your clavicle with that kind of force and it'll snap like a stick.
Not pro ball, but I can remember steamrolling players, and getting steam rolled. It's no joke
The springboks rugby team will loose if that play American football 🏈
The days of the "Big Boys" has largely faded in the era of more mobility, but you only need to look back into the 1980's at William "The Refrigerator" Perry, who at 6'2" and 335lbs was one of the largest to play as a full-back and did well as a defensive lineman. In one play as a fullback covering for Walter Payton, he actually picked up Payton when he had gotten bogged down in the coverage and carried him a ways until the play was blown dead as he was not allowed to do that.
The biggest difference between Football and Rugby is blocking is allowed in Football. So you have to work at tackling as a defender. Because the team with the ball is looking to serve your head on a platter. And vice versa. Also When I watch Rugby it’s like watching a prevent defense. Because they have four try’s to make a try line. In Football you have to guard the end zone AND the 1st down marker. 4 downs to go ten yards and the chains reset. And the team marches down the field. And then of course the forward pass…..
No one ever mentions in reactions to this "Greatest Hits" video that half of those hits were College and several were High School games...
And one peewee game.
A lot of these are called "blindside blocks", they aren't using their arms. As long as the blocker is in front of the other person, and set up far enough away, the other person doesn't have to see it coming.
It's comparable to them running into a wall.
A person catching a pass is open game when the ball hits his hands.
Earliest years, they didn't even wear facemasks.
Besides the "helmet area" is the "horsecollar tackle", grabbing the back of a jersey or the back of the shoulder pads and pulling down.
Recent changes to the rulez have made it so that you can only block by standing in front of a defender. A defender may only touch a runners hip, and then only if it is obvious they a reaching for the flag.
Americans start playing tackle football at around 10-11 years old. Younger kids play "flag" football. No hits, pulling the ball carriers flag ends the play.
If you get hit like these a few times, you begin to listen and heed your coaches... Keep your head on a swivel!