#FreeShawnBoone?

This past Saturday, NC State Strong Safety Shawn Boone was ejected from the Wake Forest game for a targeting penalty against Cam Serigne. Boone missed the rest of the contest on Saturday, and will have to sit out the first half of the Notre Dame game this upcoming Saturday.

Was the referees call of targeting on Boone correct?

Well lets look at the rule book.

Targeting and Initiating Contact With the Crown of the Helmet (Rule 9-1-3)

No player shall target and initiate contact against an opponent with the crown (top) of his helmet. When in question, it is a foul.

Targeting and Initiating Contact to Head or Neck Area of a Defenseless Player (Rule 9-1-4)

No player shall target and initiate contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, fist, elbow or shoulder. When in question, it is a foul. (Rule 2-27-14) (Link)

What is a “defenseless player”?

• A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass.
• A receiver attempting to catch a pass, or one who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a ball carrier.
• A kicker in the act of or just after kicking a ball, or during the kick or the return.
• A kick returner attempting to catch or recover a kick.
• A player on the ground.
• A player obviously out of the play.
• A player who receives a blind-side block.
• A ball carrier already in the grasp of an opponent and whose forward progress has been stopped.
• A quarterback any time after a change of possession. (Link)

Now let’s take a look at the play in question.

Boone lowers and leads with his head. You can’t do that https://t.co/LWDjA5THhk

— Joe Giglio (@jwgiglio) October 2, 2016

Looking at the rulebook, I don’t think that Boone was guilty of breaking rule 9-1-4, because I don’t think that Serigne was a defenseless player. With that being said, I can see how the flag was thrown in regards to rule 9-1-3. Boone did lower and lead with the crown of his helmet, which forcefully went into the helmet of Serigne. It is true that the the offensive player appears to crouch and lower his helmet first to prepare for the hit, and while I thought that changed things, I can’t find it in the rules.

I think the key line in the rule book is this:

“When in question, it is a foul”

From this non-referee’s opinion, this was one of the weaker targeting flags I’ve seen thrown. He didn’t launch himself. He didn’t crouch and thrust upwards to make contact with the head or neck region. But did he lead with the crown of his helmet, into his opponents helmet. Would I have thrown a flag? Probably not, but I’m not a referee. Was the referee justified in throwing the flag according to the book? I guess so.