#16: The Mel Blount Rule and Defensive Contact Limits
Receivers facing Pittsburgh in the 1970s had to deal with Mel Blount before they could worry very much about catching the football. At roughly 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, the Steelers cornerback had unusual size for his position and played in an era when defensive backs were permitted to maintain far more contact with receivers downfield. Blount could bump, steer, disrupt, and generally make the beginning of a passing route miserable. Then the boundaries changed. As part of a major package of offensive-minded adjustments for 1978, defenders were prohibited from maintaining contact with receivers more than five yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
