SALT LAKE CITY — Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott gave a statement that has a lot of people scratching their heads.
The issue? Targeting.
The targeting penalty has been a common topic of controversy lately among college football fans, especially those in the Pac-12. The penalty is more than just helmet-to-helmet contact, but is “forcible contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent.”
The NCAA has four points that can help the ref indentify targeting:
- Launch: a player leaving his feet to attack an opponent by an upward and forward thrust of the body to make forcible contact in the head or neck area
- A crouch followed by an upward and forward thrust to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area, even though one or both feet are still on the ground
- Leading with helmet, shoulder, forearm, fist, hand or elbow to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area
- Lowering the head before attacking by initiating forcible contact with the crown of the helmet
If a player "targets" another player and it is called on the field, it goes to an official review.