Should the "tandem blocking" penalty be removed from the rule book?

[Tecno]

"Tandem blocking" is "assisting the forward progress of a ball carrier by providing impetus from behind or in front of the ball carrier".  Basically it's when team A pushes or pulls their own ball carrier forward.  Usually this is a push by a hoggie, but it can be anyone.  It's also the same as "pushing the pile", assuming the pushers are directly touching the carrier.

It's illegal, Rule 7, Article 4, and it's a 10Y penalty from PLS, same as a hold.

Yet, tandem blocking has been flagged only once, as far as I know, in the last 8 years.  Proulx called one like 5-7 years ago.  My belief is he got a memo saying "don't do it again" and now every ref just ignores it, no matter how egregious.

So my question is how to fix this.  If they should just go on like they are now, but formalize it, select YES to eliminate the rule.  If you like the status quo where we just pretend this is all OK, select option 2.  If you want them to enforce the rule as it exists in the book, select option 3.

I'm bringing this up because of my rewatch of the ESF and the horrible PTSD of watching that blatant multi-tandem (a pull as well as pushes!) that got MTL the game-sealing TD.  I'll post more on that in a second.  I'm not sure any rule issue has aggravated me over the years as this one.

[Tecno]

The clearest and most recent example of tandem blocking (unflagged, of course) is the ESF 4Q9:13 when basically the entire MTL team pushes and pulls S.Scott (RB) into the EZ when he's stuff 5Y out.

The most egregious part of this is hoggie #62 pulling Scott from the front by the jersey the whole time.  This screams tandem block.

There are no WPG players in the way to "excuse" any sort of pushing.  One WPG guy stayed with Scott the whole time (sitting there wondering where his backup was!) but he was not between Scott and any of the pushers/pullers, he was clinging to the side.

TSN doesn't say boo.  Major doesn't say boo.  No one says boo.  Though I bet Proulx and MOS on the sidelines had a little chat about it, as I know that both of THEM know the rule well enough.

There was also a tandem block 1Q6:06 in the same game, quite obvious, but only 1 guy that time.

TSN even goes on and on about how they were pushing & pulling him into the EZ.

The icing on the cake is in a future Maas presser he specifically mentions that play as to why his team is so good and tight, blah blah blah.  Ya, be proud of your team cheating to win as their biggest accomplishment.

Like so many plays over the years, this one will stick with me; and since I was there to witness the shambles in person, total PTSD!

[Waffler]

Why are you singling out this one rule? I pointed out 2 rule infractions last year that are also never called which were undone chinstrap and a player making the flag throwing motion. Shouldn't they clean up everything?

Football has to be the most complicated sport by far and this in my mind is one thing holding back young people from becoming fans. Simpler is better.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Pro football in general is trying to figure out what to do with this.

The NFL narrowly voted to keep it in last off season. I'm sure it's going to get voted on again this spring at the Board of Governors meeting.

The CFL doesn't really enforce the rule.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

On that specific play Vaughters initially pushes Scott backwards stopping all forward progress which is when the play should have been blown dead, instead the ref. kept the play live and he ended up getting steam rolled into the endzone by a wave of linemen.

Bombers are as guilty as any team of breaking that rule, it's been a staple through the Harris and Brady years.  As a player safety issue I would prefer to see the penalty called.

[dd]

Tandem buck blocking is cheating plain and simple and should be called everyone but it's and it's become a joke. It is also a player safety issue when some 300 lb lineman is dragging you forward so some defensive player can come in a tee off on the defenseless player being pulled or pushed forward. Grow a pair and call it, I do everytime it occurs much to the belly aching of the offense but tough a rules a rule

[bunker]

It goes on all the time and is a routine part of the game. Can anyone point to a player injured specifically during a tandem blocking play? And even if so, do injuries on these plays occur any more frequently than any other running play up the middle? It seems to me there are many plays that carry a higher risk of injury, including the high velocity hits on kick off and punt returns and receivers getting destroyed over the middle on passing plays by DBs (although they have been gradually scaling back what is permissible on those). NFL has the tush push, which they have kept legal for now. I would just legalize it unless there is evidence it really is a high danger play re injury.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

It goes on all the time and is a routine part of the game. Can anyone point to a player injured specifically during a tandem blocking play? And even if so, do injuries on these plays occur any more frequently than any other running play up the middle? It seems to me there are many plays that carry a higher risk of injury, including the high velocity hits on kick off and punt returns and receivers getting destroyed over the middle on passing plays by DBs (although they have been gradually scaling back what is permissible on those). NFL has the tush push, which they have kept legal for now. I would just legalize it unless there is evidence it really is a high danger play re injury.

A bit of historical background as to why they don't allow group blocking formations.

"The "Flying Wedge" was banned from football in 1894—and further restricted in 1905—because it caused numerous injuries and fatalities, making the game exceptionally brutal. Introduced in 1892, this momentum-based, V-shaped formation involved players locking arms and charging at full speed, causing severe, often fatal collisions, prompting President Teddy Roosevelt to demand safer play. "

[bunker]

A bit of historical background as to why they don't allow group blocking formations.

"The "Flying Wedge" was banned from football in 1894—and further restricted in 1905—because it caused numerous injuries and fatalities, making the game exceptionally brutal. Introduced in 1892, this momentum-based, V-shaped formation involved players locking arms and charging at full speed, causing severe, often fatal collisions, prompting President Teddy Roosevelt to demand safer play. "

There are significant differences obviously. Players did not wear much padding, including helmets in the days of the flying wedge. And I don't think anyone is calling for the bombers to line up 8 players locking  arms on the line in front of Brady. Its the pushing and pulling that's at issue, and its often done when a player is barely moving forward, and the pushing and pulling is not generally high velocity. I honestly don't care that much whether they start enforcing the rule, ignore it as they are doing, or legalize it. I just think the injury issue is a red herring, although I'd be happy to see proof otherwise.