The chop block is no longer legal in the National Football League.
For decades, defensive players have complained about chop blocks, which happen when one offensive player blocks a defensive player low while another offensive player blocks the defensive player high. In recent years, the NFL has added more restrictions to cut down on chop blocks, but today the league voted to ban them entirely.
Defensive linemen will celebrate the league’s decision, which came from a vote of the NFL’s owners at today’s meeting. Some offensive linemen and coaches, however, believe that in certain situations chop blocks are fair game and are necessary to properly block on certain plays.
Ultimately, the NFL decided that with its increased emphasis on player safety, the league simply couldn’t justify allowing a move that so many players say can lead to serious knee injuries. And so the 2016 season will mark the first year in the history of the NFL that all chop blocks are illegal, all the time.
