In what was surely shocking news to football fans, the NFL made a confusing and unpopular change to the rule book this offseason. Rule 12-2-8 of the NFL’s encyclopedic code of behavior makes “use of the helmet” a punishable offense.
Directly from the manual: “It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.” This is the entirety of the rule. Guilty parties face a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down for defensive players. Egregious violations can lead to ejection.
Due to the vague wording of the rule, a fact sheet was distributed to clarify a few things.