Cut Block In High School Football

[Sergio]

Is the cut block allowed in high school football(in California)? My son plays middle linebacker, was set up as a linebacker on a particular play and was speared on his kneecap by the center when he rushed in. The hit was hard enough to push his knee backwards.

ANSWER: Daryl,

I need to know some more information about the play you describe before I can give you an answer, as your question contains terms of art ["cut block, speared"] that have specific definitions.  First spearing is always illegal.  The layman definition of Spear is the using of the helmet by a player who launches himself helmet first into an opponent making contact only with the helmet.  The term cut block is a low block and generally is legal if done on the initial charge in the free blocking zone. However you use the term "set up" which makes me wonder if you may be describing a "Chop Block".  Chop blocks are illegal.  Chop blocks are a high low or low high block by 2 or more non adjacent linemen with a delay.

If you are describing a play in which the LB rushes in to and through the line of scrimmage and a center in the free blocking zone blocks the linebacker low at the knees and there is no other offensive lineman involved in the block that sound like a legal play.

Please know the phrase cut block is a term of art describing a low block.  There are no specific penalties for a "cut block" but if the block was some other type of illegal low block that would be a foul(i.e. chop block, clip, illegal block below the waist) also if there truly was a "spearing" that would have been a foul.

Victor Winnek

NCAA Football Official

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

Thanks Victor,

The defense was in a 3-5 formation(5 linebackers), my son was middle and was to blitz at the snap...which he did. The center lunged at him after the snap using only his helmet to make contact. No other offensive lineman were involved. Since the hit was intentionally at the knee level I called it a cut block. My son never broke the line of scrimmage because that was the point where the center started his lunge.