Xavier Lucas

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Ok, but the first thing he hit was also a shoulder.
Right. So it’s confusing, because 1) the shoulder is included in the rules (there are actually two targeting rules!) as a body part that counts as a led with / hit with body part, and 2) the neck area counts as a body part that gets hit. So both things qualify according to the rules.

I explained the targeting rules and why they suck in this post, if you are interested.

 
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Right. So it’s confusing, because 1) the shoulder is included in the rules (there are actually two targeting rules!) as a body part that counts as a led with / hit with body part, and 2) the neck area counts as a body part that gets hit. So both things qualify according to the rules.

I explained the targeting rules and why they suck in this post, if you are interested.

I see there are two parts but the shoulder was the first point of contact on BOTH players not the head or neck unless I am missing something else which is very possible.
 
The targeting rules are a disgrace and never should have been introduced. I can't help but feel that they were deliberately structured to give refs the ability to put their thumb on the scale of the outcome of a game, as they see fit. They are so ambiguous and open to individualized interpretation that refs are completely immunized against criticism for getting calls wrong.
 
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Targeting should just be for when you egregiously try and decapitate a dude across the middle, not this ticky tack **** where players are just trying to make a tackle.
Especially when the offensive player ducks into the targeting, which is what happened here. Lucas was already in the process of making the hit and the guy lowered his head right into it. There is nothing you can do to prevent that as the tackler.
 
I am good with the targeting rules. it helps both players in the long run. I just want it evenly applied. I don't believe either of those hits should have been targeting. The first because it was just a collision that happened to involve the heads and second because he got low and hit with his shoulder to the body. just my opinion.
 
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