FWST: Still miffed by targeting reversal on TCU’s Turpin? Big 12’s head of officials explains

[TopFrog]

Still miffed by targeting reversal on TCU’s Turpin? Big 12’s head of officials explains

BY DREW DAVISON
ddavison@star-telegram.com

What exactly is targeting?

Many fans were asking themselves that question during the TCU-Iowa State game on Saturday night. Frogs wide receiver KaVontae Turpin endured a vicious helmet-to-helmet blow in the first half, requiring him to receive stitches and knocking him out the rest of the game.

Multiple officials flagged Iowa State defensive back Datrone Young for “targeting” after Young collided with Turpin at the end of the 24-yard play, clearly making helmet-to-helmet contact. After review, though, it was overturned.

Read more at https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/big-12/texas-christian-university/article219303625.html

 

[froginmn]

So my follow up question:

Does the rulebook allow helmet to helmet hits? If so, why?

 

[Paint It Purple]

If they had upheld the penalty and tossed the player, Turpin will still be injured. A penalty doesn’t change that. IMO, tossing the player is stupid. The purp walk they do to the locker room makes them into some kind of criminal. Which they are not. Make it a twenty yard penalty or toss the coach. Then maybe the targeting instinct will change more. Don’t get me wrong. It’s football. Most of the hits I see that are flagged are just good hard nosed football. Drives me nuts when they flag the tackler; when it’s the runner lowering his head that causes the head-to-head. Now the Iowa State player was flying to the ball just hoping the runner gets held up so he could launch on him. Personal Foul-20 yard penalty.

 

[Moose Stuff]

If they had upheld the penalty and tossed the player, Turpin will still be injured. A penalty doesn’t change that. IMO, tossing the player is stupid. The purp walk they do to the locker room makes them into some kind of criminal. Which they are not. Make it a twenty yard penalty or toss the coach. Then maybe the targeting instinct will change more. Don’t get me wrong. It’s football. Most of the hits I see that are flagged are just good hard nosed football. Drives me nuts when they flag the tackler; when it’s the runner lowering his head that causes the head-to-head. Now the Iowa State player was flying to the ball just hoping the runner gets held up so he could launch on him. Personal Foul-20 yard penalty.

So just to be clear...... on the first play of the game next week Tech runs a crossing route, receiver lowers his head for a little extra yardage and Innis accidentally makes helmet to helmet contact...... you want GP ejected for that??? And that will change things for the better?

 

[Peacefrog]

I’m not 100 percent certain that these calls have been made consistent with this explanation over the past few years.

 

[Atomic Frawg]

So my follow up question:

Does the rulebook allow helmet to helmet hits? If so, why?

Yes, with caveats. The player cannot be "defenseless," meaning he must be upright and trying to advance the ball, and the crown of the helmet cannot be used.

 

[jake102]

Wasn’t Turpin in the process of being tackled? Thought that was another qualifier for defenseless

Regardless, the defender hit him with enough of crown of helmet it should have been called. Turpins head didn’t get split open by getting hit with a face mask

 

[VA Froggie]

If they had upheld the penalty and tossed the player, Turpin will still be injured. A penalty doesn’t change that. IMO, tossing the player is stupid. The purp walk they do to the locker room makes them into some kind of criminal. Which they are not. Make it a twenty yard penalty or toss the coach. Then maybe the targeting instinct will change more. Don’t get me wrong. It’s football. Most of the hits I see that are flagged are just good hard nosed football. Drives me nuts when they flag the tackler; when it’s the runner lowering his head that causes the head-to-head. Now the Iowa State player was flying to the ball just hoping the runner gets held up so he could launch on him. Personal Foul-20 yard penalty.

100% agree. Head to head goes both ways if the offensive player if going head down also, would agree with 20 yard penalty.

 

[Volare]

I’m not 100 percent certain that these calls have been made consistent with this explanation over the past few years.

Just like everything else that comes out the mouth of the Big 12

 

[Tom Brown]

Just like everything else that comes out the mouth of ESPN,NCAA,Big12

FIFY

 

[MTfrog5]

Wasn’t Turpin in the process of being tackled? Thought that was another qualifier for defenseless

Regardless, the defender hit him with enough of crown of helmet it should have been called. Turpins head didn’t get split open by getting hit with a face mask

Yes. WVU defender was ejected against Tech for hitting a player with his shoulder as he was being taken to the ground

 

[Zubaz]

Does the rulebook allow helmet to helmet hits? If so, why?

Yes, the classic example being a RB that is running upfield. See the hit that took Vernon Adams out of the Alamo Bowl for an example of a hit that is both legal and H2H.

 

[Lone Frog]

Yes, the classic example being a RB that is running upfield. See the hit that took Vernon Adams out of the Alamo Bowl for an example of a hit that is both legal and H2H.

Except that was helmet (Adams) to shoulder (Kindred).

 

[Jefffrog1993]

Why can’t it be a 15 yard penalty with no ejection. Uneccessary Roughness? Maybe 15 for crown to crown hit?

 

[BABYFACE]

The head of B12 officials can spin it anyway he wants, as is the case here. The point is that the Turpin play would have been a 15 yard person foul penalty in the past until the targeting rule was put into the rule book. I sure wish that head of officials would explain that.

What we are seeing this season is officials reluctant to toss a player and overturning some obvious personal foul type hits.

 

[Ron Swanson]

The rule should read:

“Players are not allowed to hit the absolute ship out of the opponent’s helmet with their own helmet. Referees, please use common sense when enforcing”

 

[Bruce Berry]

Like porn, I know it when I see it.

Should have been a penalty and the kid should have been gone.

 

[4 Oaks Frog]

Evidently there was/is a significant problem with injuries as a result of helmet to helmet impact. If not, it wouldn’t have been deemed serious enough of an infraction to get the offender expelled from the game and the next game, as well. That is a huge punishment! But, enter the qualifiers: was he still moving!, was he defenseless?, was it the crown? Did the offender leave his feet? and on you go. None of these qualifiers lessens impact and the injury that results. So the ref makes the call, and the booth uses the qualifiers to find reasons to overturn it. The impact is still there. The injury is still there. Ask Turpin. He got stitches and missed the rest of the game. Hopefully, that’s all. The offender got pats on the ass. If the injuries are serious enough, and they are, that the offender can be jerked off the field, the review booth needs to enforce it, or the NCAA should just forget it. You can’t be borderline pregnant. Either you are, or you ain’t!

GO FROGS!
BEAT bye, the Texas lite!
Spit Blood~~<~<and [Baylor asshoe]!!

 

[Paint It Purple]

So just to be clear...... on the first play of the game next week Tech runs a crossing route, receiver lowers his head for a little extra yardage and Innis accidentally makes helmet to helmet contact...... you want GP ejected for that??? And that will change things for the better?

You ever heard of being absurd to illustrate absurdity? Guess I should have used one of those smiley/winky things. Although I do like the 20 yd penalty. Just don’t throw the kid out of the game for playing football.

 

[SwissArmyFrog]

So my follow up question:

Does the rulebook allow helmet to helmet hits? If so, why?

This was addressed in the article.