Rules Question: Hands to the face

[koleszar]

Why is it legal for a player with the ball in his hands to stiff arm a player to the face mask. But a player without the ball in his hands it is illegal to go to the face mask? And penalized for hands to the face. I've been around football for a long time and this one always puzzled me.

 

[wicker]

The runner doesnt get flagged unless he grabs defender's mask. Putting a stiff arm on it is OK

 

[robcac26]

The runner doesnt get flagged unless he grabs defender's mask. Putting a stiff arm on it is OK

The question is WHY is that OK since it's not OK for a defender to touch a ball carrier's mask even if he doesn't grab it.

 

[LC-88]

Good question OP. Wondering the same thing since there were some hands to the face calls in the Bengals/Broncos game.

On a related note, if a defender is getting stiff armed by a running back, is it illegal for the defender to latch on to the RB's arm and drop to the ground (like in martial arts)? Written rule? Unwritten rule?

 

[Pritz99]

Pull the runner down any way you can.....away from the head and no horse collar. Everything else is fair game.