#17: The Hines Ward Rule and Player Safety on Blocks
Keith Rivers never saw the hit coming. In a 2008 Steelers-Bengals game, Cincinnati’s rookie linebacker was pursuing the ball when Pittsburgh receiver Hines Ward came across and delivered a crushing blindside block. Rivers suffered a broken jaw. At the time, the hit was legal, and Ward had long been admired in Pittsburgh precisely because a wide receiver known for catching passes was also willing to block linebackers with extraordinary enthusiasm. The collision nevertheless became part of a much larger NFL discussion about vulnerable players and blows to the head. In March 2009, the league approved a rule making it illegal for a blocker to use his helmet, shoulder, or forearm to strike an opponent’s head or neck on certain blindside blocks.
