ARTICLE 7. PLAYERS IN A DEFENSELESS POSTURE. It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player
who is in a defenseless posture.
(a) Players in a defenseless posture are:
(1) A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass (passing posture)
(2) A receiver attempting to catch a pass; or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has
not clearly become a runner. If the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent,
he is no longer a defenseless player.
(3) The intended receiver of a pass in the action during and immediately following an interception or potential
interception. If the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer
a defenseless player.
Note: Violations of this provision will be enforced after the interception, and the intercepting team will maintain
possession.
(4) A runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped
(5) A kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air
(6) A player on the ground
(7) A kicker/punter during the kick or during the return (Also see Article 6-h) for additional restrictions against a
kicker/punter)
(8) A quarterback at any time after a change of possession (Also see Article 9-f) for additional restrictions against a
quarterback after a change of possession)
(9) A player who receives a “blindside” block when the path of the blocker is toward or parallel to his own end line, and
he approaches the opponent from behind or from the side
(10) A player who is protected from an illegal crackback block (see Article 2)
(11) The offensive player who attempts a snap during a Field Goal attempt or a Try Kick
(b) Prohibited contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture is:
(1) forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, even if
the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms
to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him
(2) lowering the head and making forcible contact with the crown or “hairline” parts of the helmet against any part of the
defenseless player’s body
(3) illegally launching into a defenseless opponent. It is an illegal launch if a player (i) leaves both feet prior to contact to
spring forward and upward into his opponent, and (ii) uses any part of his helmet to initiate forcible contact against
any part of his opponent’s body. (This does not apply to contact against a runner, unless the runner is still considered
to be a defenseless player, as defined in Article 7.)
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