Home Steelers Offseason Another “Steelers’ Rule” is Added to the NFL List

Another “Steelers’ Rule” is Added to the NFL List

by Steeldad

When you win, you get noticed. The Pittsburgh Steelers have done a lot of winning over the last 45 or so years and because of that, people pay a little more attention to them than they might other teams. Sometimes that attention isn’t always positive.

The National Football League announced new rules in late March and re-defined some others and to no one’s surprise, one of those rules is a direct result of actions from a Steeler. This Steeler however was a coach and not a player (at the time) but that doesn’t matter because now Joey Porter, the Steelers’ outside linebackers’ coach, will live on for ever.

Mike Pereira is a former NFL Official who is seen on FOX often dissecting critical calls during specific games. He was tweeting about the new rules or ‘points of emphasis’ for 2016 yesterday and dropped the above nugget. Unless you were stuck under the Clemente Bridge for the last year, you’ll know that this is a direct result of Joey Porter being on the field near the end of the Steelers’ AFC Wild-Card Win over Cincinnati.

From now on, ONLY the head coach is allowed on the field to check on an injured player which is what we all know Porter was doing when Antonio Brown’s head was used as a punching bag by Vontaze Burfict. This shall now be known as the “Joey Porter Rule.”

Peezy now joins the growing pantheon of Steelers who have also had rules named for them.

First was the “Mel Blount Rule” which limited contact from a defensive back on a receiver to the first five yards off the line of scrimmage. In my opinion it is one of the most influential rules the NFL has ever adopted because it immediately changed the way the game is played.

Secondly was the “Hines Ward Rule” which, like the Porter Rule, stemmed from a game against the Bengals. Ward laid a punishing block on Bengals’ linebacker Keith Rivers who ended up with a broken jaw.  The blocking rule makes illegal a blindside block if it comes from the blocker’s helmet, forearm or shoulder and lands to the head or neck area of the defender. Just in case you needed a reminder here was the play in question.

So welcome to the club Joey Porter! Something tells me this club will likely get bigger at some point soon. Heck, most of the rules against using the head stemmed from James Harrison’s brutal hits so I guess you say we now have a “Mt. Rushmore or Rules.”

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4 comments

Ben Anderson June 9, 2016 - 4:34 pm

Supposedly, Tomlin was the one who brought this to the competition committee and suggested that they offer a defined clarification. Probably just to get it over with because he knew it was an eventuality.

bob graff June 9, 2016 - 5:26 pm

There is a very easy way to circumvent this rule. Add several assistants to the training staff as well as there coaching duties. This is just a stupid rule. And it’s not uncommon for a coach to have more than one duty.

SCB Steelers' Quick Hitters for 6/10/16 - Steel City Blitz June 10, 2016 - 12:39 pm

[…] I wrote about the NFL’s new policy about coaches being on the field. It’s the new “Joey Porter Rule.” However, Chris reminded me that this is the second Joey Porter Rule and I had totally forgotten. […]

SCB Steelers’ Quick Hitters for 6/10/16 June 10, 2016 - 9:42 pm

[…] I wrote about the NFL’s new policy about coaches being on the field. It’s the new “Joey Porter Rule.” However, Chris reminded me that this is the second Joey Porter Rule and I had totally forgotten. […]

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