There have been some weird fouls and rules existing in the NFL realm. Take for example, the infamous ‘Tuck Rule’ of Tom Brady. With the Raiders sure of a playoff victory in 2002, the rule changed the complexion of the entire game as the Patriots walked away victorious. In fact, with heavy confusion arising from the ‘Tuck Rule,’ the NFL abolished it back in 2013. Now, while the recent happenings at the Texans vs. The Cowboys were not as controversial, it surely made the crowd scratch their heads for some time. As not many people are aware of what a ‘Head Slap Penalty’ is.
What Is A Head Slap Penalty?
A Head Slap Penalty is a rarely-seen incident in the NFL when an athlete tries to block his opponent using his helmet. As per Rule 12, Section 2, Article 10 of the NFL rulebook, “It is a foul if a player: A) lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent; or B) uses any part of his helmet or facemask to butt or make forcible contact to an opponent’s head or neck. These provisions do not prohibit incidental contact by the mask or the helmet in the course of a conventional tackle or block on an opponent.”
The rule itself stated that a team found to be guilty of a head slap penalty would lose 15 yards. On the contrary, if the defense commits the foul, the player in question would be disqualified and will result in an automatic first down. Turning back the pages in NFL history, the concept of head slap was initially introduced by the Hall of Famer defensive lineman Deacon Jones. However, in order to put a stop to the move, the NFL decided to ban the move in 1977 and rang in the penalty rule. Now, with the confusion regarding the rule getting sorted, let’s focus on what happened with Derek Barnett.
What Did Derek Barnett Do?
While the Texans ruled the game against the Cowboys, confusion engulfed the fans when the referee booked Derek Barnett. During the third quarter of the game, Barnett slapped the back of Cowboys lineman Terrance Steele’s head. This resulted in Barnett getting into the backfield and almost successfully blocking Brandon Aubrey’s 64-yard field goal.
The referee immediately spotted this infringement. Much to the amazement of the crowds, Barnett was called for a ‘Head Slap Penalty’. Surely, as per the rules, the Texans lost 15 yards while delivering an automatic first down for the Cowboys on a platter. Unfortunately, the Texans did not lose out on much as they eventually went on to win the game comfortably.
