cutting a puller

[gopher2]

We face a team with a BIG guard pulling to the perimeter on jet and my 160 lb linebacker will get pancaked if he gets rolling.  What are the rules on initiating defensive contact?  Can my player cut him anywhere or just in the tackle box extended?

[JustRules]

He definitely can't cut him at that point. All low blocks are not allowed once the ball has left the free blocking zone. By saying jet sweep I assume QB is in shot gun so the FBZ disintegrates immediately and low blocks are only allowed if immediately at the snap. Low blocks also must be initiated by the someone on the line against someone else on the line. Based on that your LB should never be cut unless he moves up to the line prior to the snap..

[ajames4]

24 minutes ago, JustRules said:

He definitely can't cut him at that point. All low blocks are not allowed once the ball has left the free blocking zone. By saying jet sweep I assume QB is in shot gun so the FBZ disintegrates immediately and low blocks are only allowed if immediately at the snap. Low blocks also must be initiated by the someone on the line against someone else on the line. Based on that your LB should never be cut unless he moves up to the line prior to the snap..

I think he is aksing if his LB can "cut" the pulling guard.

[Bobref]

30 minutes ago, ajames4 said:

I think he is aksing if his LB can "cut" the pulling guard.

Nope. Legal blocking below the waist can only occur if both players involved were on the line of scrimmage at the snap, the contact occurs in the free blocking zone, and the ball is still in the free blocking one.

[gopher2]

Thanks.  Ok, so what if we's lined up next to the DE in the FBZ at the snap and he's within the "lateral" 4 yards of the ball.

 

Edited October 23, 2019 by gopher2

[gopher2]

 

9 minutes ago, gopher2 said:

Thanks.  Ok, so what if we's lined up next to the DE in the FBZ at the snap and he's within the "lateral" 4 yards of the ball.

 

And yes their QB is in pistol

[JustRules]

9 minutes ago, gopher2 said:

Thanks.  Ok, so what if we's lined up next to the DE in the FBZ at the snap and he's within the "lateral" 4 yards of the ball.

 

It would be very unlikely for a ball to stay in the free blocking zone long enough for this to be legal. If the QB is under center, fakes the dive up the middle to the fullback, and then runs behind the LOS staying with 3 yards of the LOS there MAY be time for a pulling guard to cut a player who started on the line before the QB gets outside the tackle or pitches the ball to a back. But I would say that would be very unlikely. And this guard doesn't now if the QB still has the ball behind him or pitched it to another back so he risks committing a foul if he cuts.

I saw your later post of the QB in pistol. Assuming he's more than 3 yards behind the LOS the ball will leave the FBZ during the snap. Rules do allow a lineman to cut immediately at the snap, but any delay will usually result in a foul.

[gopher2]

Thank you everybody.  You're a boon to those in the trenches trying to get it right.