Football is a collision sport that takes place at high speeds. Players are subjected to physical punishment unlike any other sport, which is why they require so much protective equipment. Sometimes, that protective equipment needs to also be protected for the safety of the players. Such is the case for the face mask, the metal "cage" that attaches to the front of a football helmet to protect the player's face.
History
Facemasks have been used on football helmets since the 1930s, before helmets themselves were even required equipment for players. NFL players went without the face mask as recently as the late 1970s, but the penalty for grabbing, grasping or tackling a player by the face mask was instituted sometime in the 1960s; some think because of Dick "Night Train" Lane, a Hall of Fame defensive back who infamously used player's heads--including their face masks--to bring them down.
The Rule
Until recently, there were two types of face mask penalties--incidental and personal foul. The incidental face mask was called when a player simply grabbed another player's face mask, but immediately let go. The incidental face mask penalty gave the opposing team 5 yards added on to the end of the play. As a comparison, the personal foul is called if the player grabbing the face mask twists, turns or pulls the face mask in any direction. The personal foul gives the opposing team 15 yards and an automatic first down.
Purpose
The face mask penalty was introduced to protect players from injury. When a player's face mask gets twisted, turned or pulled, they risk a neck injury like a sprain or strain, or even a severe injury like a dislocation or fracture.
NFL and NCAA
There are only 15-yard face mask penalties in the NFL and NCAA. The 5-yard incidental face mask penalties were dropped in the late 2000s as a way to decrease face mask penalties and to make the punishment strong.
High School and Youth Leagues
High school and youth league games still have two face mask penalties, the 5-yard incidental penalty and the 15-yard personal foul penalty.
Member Comments