NFL to punish teams for flagrant hits

[Auggie]

May 24th, 2011 / Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NFL will punish teams next season if their players commit multiple flagrant hits that result in fines.

The punishment will be financial, although league vice president Adolpho Birch said Tuesday he didn't rule out commissioner Roger Goodell applying further sanctions such as stripping clubs of draft choices.

SNIP

The 32 owners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve rules amendments for player safety, including a measure aimed at keeping a player from launching himself into a defenseless opponent. A 15-yard penalty will result for anyone who leaves both feet before contact to spring forward and upward into an opponent and delivers a blow to the helmet with any part of his helmet.

MORE: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6583638

I agree with this, especially punishing teams and not individual players, though enforcing the rule will certainly be open to interpretation and controversy, as most rules are.

[Forkboy]

1. Lift and tackle is how it was back in the day, and how it should be now.

I wonder how many of today's players even know who Dick Butkus is.