NFL players still confused about illegal hits

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Seven weeks after the NFL’s crackdown on illegal hits, players remain confused about what they can and can’t do. The league says there should be no such uncertainty.

Many players questioned by The Associated Press over the past week believe there’s a lack of consistency in calls; don’t understand the disciplinary process through which fines are handed out; say the punishments often don’t fit the crime; and even suggest some players are being targeted by game officials and the NFL.

NFL senior vice president of football operations Ray Anderson replied that the process is clear and transparent, and any favoritism “is not something we would tolerate or condone.”

The AP talked to three dozen players across the league about a variety of topics related to the NFL’s move to ramp up punishment for flagrant fouls ever since Oct. 17, when three such instances resulted in hefty fines and the threat of suspension. Most players surveyed believe the league is likely to suspend a player for an egregious hit at some point.

But they aren’t sure what an egregious hit is.

“I think they’re inconsistent,” said Saints defensive end Will Smith, an assistant player representative to the NFL Players Association. “You see a guy get punched in the face and get fined $25,000 and not suspended, but then you see a guy mush a guy with a helmet on and get fined the exact same thing.

“So I think the NFL will have to clear up the way they’re fining because they’re not really fair.”

Added Packers cornerback Charles Woodson, the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year:

“It’s hard to just change something overnight, something you’ve been taught for so long.

“To me, it seems like ... a guy gets hit and they’re going off the outcome of the play. If a guy ends up hurt or seems a little out of it, woozy or whatever, then all of a sudden it’s a personal foul and a $50,000 or $75,000 fine or whatever it is.

“I know it’s not the intent of every player to go out and knock a player out. Your job is to go get the ball and try to get the ball out if you can. I think they’re taking that away from guys.”

The league is taking away lots of money from players, with fines climbing to $40,000 or more for flagrant fouls.