View topic - Harrison being Held...Legally?

[ColdSteelSanDiego Profile]

I still can't get over the fact that Harrison is being held at least a couple times a game. I've heard the age old saying "the refs could call holding on every play," but Harrison was one of the sack leaders and there was enough press about the no-calls on him that you'd think it would warrant more attention by the refs.

I am not trying to be bias, so I want to know, what is the rule on holding?

From the Supernfl.com website on rules:
Note: Pass blocking: Hand(s) thrust forward that slip outside the body of the defender will be legal if blocker immediately worked to bring them back inside. Hand(s) or arm(s) that encircle a defender—i.e., hook an opponent—are to be considered illegal and officials are to call a foul for holding.

From this description, all of those highlights would be "Encircling a defender."

I'm dumbfounded on this and why the NFL doesn't call this?

Here is a link to the Chargers game highlights of the non-holding calls on Silverback:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLFJkQy6_jk

[steelballs Profile]

Yeah, its almost criminal what Harrison goes through with regard to holds. The double team @ 0:30 is hilarious! What we need is some guerilla journalism during media week to make it more of a talking point between players and columnists.

[SteelMohawk Profile]

The best part is he never stops. He rarely seems to let the holds stop him from trying to get there. Plus its just so freaking awesome to see 600lbs of men holding on for dear life against our 255lb bullet train.

[ashpitt08 Profile]

There is a great story about this very issue: here is the story with the link below: There are a couple more things about Super Bowl matchups I want to explore in further detail, though time has run out right now. One is the fact that Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison has done what he's done despite an apparent lack of holding penalties called on the offensive linemen who face him. Specifically, there was a multigame stretch, extending from the Steelers' 23-6 win over the Redskins on November 3 through the fourth quarter of their 31-14 loss to the Titans on December 21, when no holds were called against Pittsburgh opponents on non-special teams plays. That's a six-game run, plus three quarters. I detailed the weirdness in this December 20 FO Mailbag <http://www.footballoutsiders.com/extra-points/2008/updated-fo-mailbag-opponent-penalties> about opponent penalties. Kind of odd to have no called holds in line against the NFL's best defense? Certainly.

In fact, the holding call in the Titans game came against receiver Brandon Jones. If you wanted a call against an opposing lineman, you'd have to move ahead to the regular season's final week, when the Steelers decimated the Browns, 31-0, and guard Scott Young was flagged twice. In the divisional win over the Chargers, two offensive holds were called, and both came against Pittsburgh: one against Heath Miller, and one against Santonio Holmes. Last Sunday's AFC Championship game saw a break in the logjam when left tackle Jared Gaither was flagged early in the fourth quarter. This was the first time since that Redskins game when a lineman facing Harrison was called for holding, which seems ridiculous no matter how you slice it.

It will probably seem even more ridiculous when I actually have time to go back to the Conference Championship and study Harrison's performance, which I'll do through the next week in preparation for (drums, please...) the First Annual Cover-3 All-Stars article. I'll be breaking up the best players as I saw them through the year in a dual-conference extravaganza that should threaten the stability of the Word Count feature in Office 2007. Harrison will obviously be on the AFC team, and I'll use that opportunity to get a more detailed analysis together."

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/cover- ... lssteelers

[McLovin Profile]

Brian Baldinger did a good job explaining this on his match-up show on the NFL network. He said that Harrison's height works against him in that at player such as Marcus McNeil who is 6'7 has to bend down so far to the tiny Harrison who he said is 6 ft with high heels on. It's something that's hard to explain in writing but he said that unless Harrison is actually taken down to the ground the refs view of the blocks on harrison are legal due to the OT's arm position on such a little guy.

[SteelerPower Profile]

Harrison is so damn good. He probably would have had twice as many sacks if he wasn't held all season. ridiculous.

[steelmoney Profile]

There is a great story about this very issue: here is the story with the link below: There are a couple more things about Super Bowl matchups I want to explore in further detail, though time has run out right now. One is the fact that Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison has done what he's done despite an apparent lack of holding penalties called on the offensive linemen who face him. Specifically, there was a multigame stretch, extending from the Steelers' 23-6 win over the Redskins on November 3 through the fourth quarter of their 31-14 loss to the Titans on December 21, when no holds were called against Pittsburgh opponents on non-special teams plays. That's a six-game run, plus three quarters. I detailed the weirdness in this December 20 FO Mailbag <http://www.footballoutsiders.com/extra-points/2008/updated-fo-mailbag-opponent-penalties> about opponent penalties. Kind of odd to have no called holds in line against the NFL's best defense? Certainly.

In fact, the holding call in the Titans game came against receiver Brandon Jones. If you wanted a call against an opposing lineman, you'd have to move ahead to the regular season's final week, when the Steelers decimated the Browns, 31-0, and guard Scott Young was flagged twice. In the divisional win over the Chargers, two offensive holds were called, and both came against Pittsburgh: one against Heath Miller, and one against Santonio Holmes. Last Sunday's AFC Championship game saw a break in the logjam when left tackle Jared Gaither was flagged early in the fourth quarter. This was the first time since that Redskins game when a lineman facing Harrison was called for holding, which seems ridiculous no matter how you slice it.

It will probably seem even more ridiculous when I actually have time to go back to the Conference Championship and study Harrison's performance, which I'll do through the next week in preparation for (drums, please...) the First Annual Cover-3 All-Stars article. I'll be breaking up the best players as I saw them through the year in a dual-conference extravaganza that should threaten the stability of the Word Count feature in Office 2007. Harrison will obviously be on the AFC team, and I'll use that opportunity to get a more detailed analysis together."

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/cover- ... lssteelers

anecdotally i've noticed the dearth of calls, especially against deebo and to a lesser extent lamarr...but those stats are staggering

[steelballs Profile]

Nice to see this topic getting some attention outside of the Pittsburgh media circle.

I'm not sure I buy Harrison's size as the reason for a lack of holding calls based upon what I've seen pass as "holding"... but it is the best explanation thus far. I mean, it is just downright criminal what this man has to go through to take a Quarterback's head off.