ORLANDO, Fla. -- The lingering spotlight on the changes to the catch rule at the NFL Annual League Meeting quickly shifted to the decision to penalize any instance in which a player lowers his head to hit an opponent with his helmet.
"Our focus is how to take the head out of the game and make sure that we're using the helmet as protection, and [that] it's not being used as a weapon, and that's the core of what we're focused on," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.
While this has been a focal point in recent years, the new wording of the rule removes the clauses that allowed "incidental contact" from a runner or tackler, as well as leading with a helmet inside the tackle box.