NFL targeting, explained: Definition, penalties, comparison to NCAA football and more on helmet-to-helmet hit

Teddy Ricketson

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NFL targeting, explained: Definition, penalties, comparison to NCAA football and more on helmet-to-helmet hit image

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Football is a violent sport. For three hours, at least 17 times every fall, players are forced to try to run full speed into each other. This results in some devastating hits and equally devastating injuries. 

College football decided to take a stand and developed the targeting rule, which outlaws hits to the upper body where the defender lowers their shoulder and flies in recklessly. The NFL has not adopted a specific targeting rule. Instead, the NFL has a rule about unnecessary contact against a defenseless player. What fans think of as targeting would fall under this jurisdiction in the NFL, even if it doesn't share the same name.

The NFL's rule is written in a more general manner. One issue is that referees then must determine what qualifies a player as defenseless. This has sparked plenty of debate about how that is defined, and it has come up in some pivotal moments in league history. 

Here is more on the targeting rule, including its definition, penalties and comparison to the college game.

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What is the NFL targeting rule?

Targeting is a popular buzzword around football. College football has an actual rule for targeting to protect players getting hit above the shoulders; the NFL doesn't actually have a specific targeting rule. 

Instead, the league has a rule about hitting a defenseless player. Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9 in the official NFL Football Operations rule book details this penalty. 

ARTICLE 9. PLAYERS IN A DEFENSELESS POSTURE

"It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture. A player who initiates contact against a defenseless opponent is responsible for avoiding an illegal act. A standard of strict liability applies for any contact against an opponent, even if his body position is in motion, and irrespective of any acts by him, such as ducking his head or curling up his body in anticipation of contact."

Getting flagged for this penalty comes with a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness and an automatic first down. If the referees determine that it was a flagrant act, the player in question is subject to disqualification. 

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What is a helmet-to-helmet hit?

A helmet-to-helmet hit is the main thing that referees are looking for. You hear the term often in college when talking about targeting. A helmet-to-helmet hit typically refers to a defender leading with the crown (top) of their helmet when going to make a tackle. With football moving so quickly, this can result in the defender connecting forcefully with the offensive player's helmet. This would be a leading cause for concussions, hence why the NFL wants to cut down on them. 

This is mentioned in Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9, bullet b, sub bullet 1 in the rulebook where it refers to a helmet-to-helmet hit as, "forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him." 

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What is a defenseless player?

The NFL gives a lengthy definition of a defenseless player, and it has 12 stipulations/scenarios that officials will look for. 

  1. Players in a defenseless posture are:
    1. A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass (passing posture).
    2. A receiver running a pass route when the defender approaches from the side or behind. If the receiver becomes a blocker or assumes a blocking posture, he is no longer a defenseless player.
    3. A player attempting to catch a pass who has not had time to clearly become a runner. If the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player.
    4. The intended receiver of a pass in the action during and immediately following an interception or potential If the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player. Violations of this provision will be enforced after the interception, and the intercepting team will maintain possession.
    5. A runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped.
    6. A kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air who has not had time to clearly become a If the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player.
    7. A player on the ground.
    8. A kicker/punter during the kick or during the return (Also see Article 8-i for additional restrictions against a kicker/punter).
    9. A quarterback at any time after a change of possession (also see Article 11-e for additional restrictions against a quarterback after a change of possession).
    10. A player who receives an illegal blindside block.
    11. A player who receives an illegal crackback block.
    12. The offensive player who attempts a snap during any scrimmage kick. He is no longer a defenseless player after he has had an opportunity to defend himself or moves downfield.

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What are the penalties for targeting in the NFL? 

Hitting a defenseless player falls under the unnecessary roughness category, which will result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. It is unclear what the penalty would be if a player on offense somehow hit a defenseless player on the defense. 

If officials believe that the actions were "flagrant," which usually means meant with intent or were just egregious, the player can be disqualified from the game. 

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Key differences between NFL and NCAA football targeting

The NCAA's targeting call is a standalone rule in its rulebook. It defines targeting as any hit "that goes beyond making a legal tackle or a legal block or playing the ball." Per ESPN, "the rule prohibits players from initiating forcible contact against an opposing player. That could be leading with the crown of the helmet while making forcible contact, or making forcible contact with the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet."

The biggest difference between the NFL and the NCAA, outside of the latter having a specific rule about targeting, is around the disqualification. Both leagues give a 15-yard penalty, an automatic first down, and a video review for possible disqualification. In the NFL, if the penalty occurs in the first minute of the game, the last minute of the game, or any time in between, and there is a disqualification, it is only for that current game and will not carry over. 

In college, if a player is ejected for targeting in the first half, they miss the remainder of the game. If they are ejected in the second half, the player will miss the first half of the following game. Even if the ejection happens in the second half of the last game of the season, if the player plays college football the next season, they will miss the first half of the first game they play. 

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NFL targeting controversies

There has been no shortage of controversial calls over the years dealing with hits on defenseless players.

Jon Bostic on Andy Dalton

This isn't really a controversy, but more shows why the hit on a defenseless player call exists. Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton was trying to give himself up by sliding, but Washington Commanders linebacker Jon Bostic drilled him. The QB left with a concussion, and Bostic was ejected from the game. 

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Donte Whitner on Pierre Thomas

The San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints met in the 2011 NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. 49ers linebacker Donte Whitner had a wicked hit on Saints running back Pierre Thomas. The RB was knocked out, and no flag was thrown on the play.

Vontaze Burfict on Antonio Brown

Again, not a controversy. Just another example of the hit on a defenseless player call. Burfict was flagged in the 2016 AFC Wild Card round after launching and knocking out Brown. Burfict was flagged, and ejected, and this was the first big hit that led to Burfict garnering a reputation for being a dirty player. 

History of targeting rule in the NFL

Here is how the defenseless player rule has evolved in NFL history. 

1982: This was the first year that there was a rule in the realm of targeting. The league prohibited "defensive players from using the crown of their helmet against a passer, receiver in the act of catching, or a runner in the grasp of a tackler." 

2009: Not much was done for the rule over the next 27 years, other than some additions made to protect players from getting hit in the head. In 2009, the rule was expanded to include contact to the head or the neck area of a defenseless player. 

2010: The rule was further expanded upon to include all defenseless players on the field, and the league threatened more severe penalties, with suspensions being a possibility. Since then, the league has further defined what constitutes a defenseless player.

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NFL targeting rule FAQs

When was the targeting rule implemented in the NFL?

There is no official targeting rule in the NFL. The league established the basis of the rule in 1982, when it introduced a rule prohibiting players from leading with the crown of their helmet. It wasn't until 2009 that the league put in a rule about hits on a defenseless player into its rulebook, and then it has spent recent years tweaking the different variables or scenarios that officials should look for when determining if a hit on a defenseless player took place. 

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Why was targeting introduced to the NFL?

The rule for hits on a defenseless player was introduced into the league in an effort to cut down on injuries. While fans can enjoy big hits, players getting concussions or knocked out from hits is something the league wants to avoid. 

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What happens when you get called for targeting?

When a player is called for a hit on a defenseless player, they are charged with a 15-yard penalty and the offense is given an automatic first down. Officials then review the footage of the incident, and if it is determined to be flagrant, the player can be ejected from the game. 

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Are there fines for targeting?

Yes. Fines can vary based on the number of offenses the player has had and the severity of the hit. In general, a hit on a defenseless player will get someone a $17,389 fine for their first offense and a $23,186 fine for their second offense. 

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Are there suspensions for targeting? 

There can be. Usually, the only suspension for a hit on a defenseless player would be ejection from the game. If the player is a repeat offender or if the offense was particularly flagrant, the league can suspend the player to make an example of them. 

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Can you challenge a targeting call?

No. A hit on a defenseless player cannot be challenged by a coach. If it is called on the field, it is automatically reviewed by the officials. They will first determine if a penalty-worthy hit occurred, and then will determine if it was flagrant enough to result in an ejection. A head coach can then challenge neither decision. 

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Teddy Ricketson

Teddy Ricketson is a Digital Content Producer at The Sporting News. He joined the team in 2024 after spending the last three years writing for Vox Media as part of its DK Nation/Network team. Teddy does his best to support the South Carolina Gamecocks and Carolina Panthers, but tends to have more fun cheering on the Atlanta Braves. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife, Brooke, and their two dogs, Bo and Hootie.