By Samuel Carlson
Sports Reporter
Targeting
The targeting calls are getting out of hand in football because the players are just trying to play football. They are not perfect all the time with their tackle, and sometimes it just happens that both the ball carrier and the defender hit helmet to helmet and it’s neither one’s fault. The football world is trying to make the game safer for young athletes and even for the pros by implementing rules like targeting.
Targeting is a penalty in football implemented whenever the defender tackles the ball carrier in a helmet-to-helmet collision or if the defender leads the tackle with the crown of his helmet. Also, if a player leaves his feet to attack around the head or neck area then it is a targeting call as well.
The college football world has mixed emotions about the targeting call. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) says the automatic ejection is to teach the players how to tackle properly. If they don’t know how to tackle, then they shouldn’t be playing college football. Whenever you eject a player automatically, even though they did nothing aggressive or hitting purposely to the head you’re not punishing them, you are ruining their chance to play and show that they belong in the NFL.
In a college game between Auburn and Penn State, there was a targeting call at the goal that should have never been called. The Auburn linebacker was running to the Penn State ball carrier at the goal to stop him from scoring. As soon as he got there, the ball carrier spun around and dove for the endzone. The only way to tackle him without him scoring and taking the lead was to hit him up top and make sure he didn’t cross the goal line.
The Auburn player hit him with his shoulder pad to the head and downed him at the one-yard line. But it was a targeting call because, he made contact to the head. That was the only way for the player to tackle him! If he went any lower, the Penn state ball carrier would have easily scored.
Players need to be let free on some penalties, because there is a difference between tackling a ball carrier and purposefully hitting them in the head to hurt them.
Taunting
Taunting is not a big injury problem, but it is still a penalty if you are unsportsmanlike and do something stupid. Although, the penalty is getting to be much, where you can’t really do anything to celebrate with your team or even do something by yourself (and get a taunting flag called on you.)
Taunting penalties include flexing while standing over an opposing player, imitating slashing the throat or delaying the game by any means. Those are obviously good taunting calls and unsportsmanlike penalties.
There are a lot of examples that a taunting penalty should not have been throw. A main one that happened this year occurred in a college game was being played between Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Iowa States wide receiver caught the ball and ran for a 50+ yard touchdown. On his way in, he put his hand up and skipped the last 3-5 yards until he was in the endzone. All he did was raise his arms up and skipped a little bit, and nothing was towards an opposing player or any uncalled-for celebration.
There are definitely taunting penalties that need to be called, but there are some that are outrageous and can change the momentum of a game, when the player did nothing wrong. They say spiking the ball and dancing when you score is a penalty, but how is that a taunting call when they are celebrating with their team and themselves when they score a touchdown. They deserve it and should be able to do those celebrations
Football is getting to where you cannot celebrate at all when you make a great play. It is getting out of hand and the players deserve to celebrate without a penalty. The National Football League and college football need to get a handle on this so the game can be fun again for the pros and the kids.
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