This is a tough one. Maybe some added rule changes. Certainly an emphasis on making sure all the penalties are called. The clip on Dan Fox was a flagrant foul with no thought of the consequences of such a dangerous play. An ejection for that type of foul, would be justified.
The problem for the academies is if they don’t block low, their players get the heck beat out of them. Physically they cannot match up with teams like ND.
Last year there was a clip by Navy, after the whistle, on an ND DB. It too was a flagrant foul. We can have respect for the Academies for their service. When they play on the edge like this though, people(coaches) need to speak up about it.
Something does need to change here.

TLNDMA, as an official, I can give you a little heads-up on that issue…it is the opinion of nearly all FB officials that Blocking Below the Waist is on its way out of the rulebook. This year, the rules committee made a major shift in philosophy regarding that rule. Before this season, BBW was considered LEGAL with a few exceptions that made it illegal. This season, the committee determined that in most cases, it is ILLEGAL and only very specific instances makes it LEGAL. This philosophical shift leads many of us to believe that the NCAA is moving more towards what the NFHS has and that is a complete ban on the practice. Probably in two years, it will be completely banned.

Agree with MQ. There is absolutely no reason to play the academies. There is no upside at all. I would much rather see ND replace them with another PAC 10 team, or perhaps a Florida or Texas school.

TL, yeah, Bilema and Redding will probably add that in for the 2014 rulebook.

A below the waist block is also how many backs pick up blitzers as well. In fact, if anyone read my Purdue breakdown before I wrote for HLS, you actually see Wood take out a LB with such a block.

I have no problem with a block below the waist and above the knees as long as it comes from the front. It needs to be like a roughing the passer rule though and be super strict in order for the dangerous ones to be phased out.

Federation rules already bans the practice, so I think players could be taught to perform without the BBW. If, however, they keep some form of BBW, it might be only legal if you are in the backfield or on the line. Currently, that is the exception to the BBW rule. The other one for WR/Split Ends/Players in motion, etc is that they can only BBW along a north-south line or towards their adjacent sideline.

While I agree that blocking below the waist is dangerous, I don’t think that the rules should be changed. When a kid takes a seriously cheap low shot from the side, behind, or after the whistle (like on Blanton last year) that kid needs to be kicked out of the game, and penalties like that need to be strictly enforced.

However, ITS FOOTBALL. The beauty of football is anyone can find an advantage. If you aren’t strong, be tough. If you aren’t big, be fast. If you aren’t big, strong, or fast, be mean. The academies find a way to level the football field by forcing you to play on their terms. Its smart. They refs obviously need to watch them, but there are always answers to chop blocks, even the illegal ones. ND has players who are bigger, faster, and stronger, and if they get off the line fast enough and low enough, they can physically man-handle academy players before they get the opportunity to chop block, and can physically pound on them until they don’t have much left.

Nobody on a Lou Holtz-coached football team ever whined about being chop-blocked. Its part of the game.