Targeting Ejection?

[VA55]

With the rules differing between HS and College I thought I'd ask...in High School is targeting supposed to lead to an ejection? I saw a high school game this weekend where that wasn't the case and the ref clearly signaled targeting.

 

[VAOfficial]

What you saw the referee signal is actually called Illegal Helmet Contact. You can have illegal helmet contact in high school football without an automatic disqualification. Illegal helmet contact covers more areas than just targeting, like spearing, butt blocking, and face tackling.

NFHS Rule 2-20: Helmet Contact - Illegal, Targeting

ART. 1 . . . Illegal helmet contact is an act of initiating contact with the helmet against an opponent. There are several types of illegal helmet contact:

a. Butt Blocking is an act by any player who initiates contact against an opponent who is not a runner with the front of his helmet.

b. Face Tackling is an act by a defensive player who initiates contact against a runner with the front of his helmet.

c. Spearing is an act by any player who initiates contact against an opponent at the shoulders or below with the crown (top portion) of his helmet.

ART. 2 . . . Targeting is an act by any player who takes aim and initiates contact against an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders.

 

[VA55]

Thanks for the rules. The tackle was against a runner and he was hit in the head so that seems to rule out Art 1a and 1c. The tackler came in leading with a forearm against the runner so I'm thinking Article 2 applies. But I guess I can assume they judged it face tackling instead. One follow-up question, is the signal the same regardless of which article applies? The ref gave the personal foul signal followed with the fist to the head gesture.

 

[VAOfficial]

Even if they deemed it targeting, which it sounds like it was, it is not an automatic disqualification like in NCAA. It has to be deemed flagrant by the covering official to warrant a DQ. As a side note, while the definition of face tackling doesn’t specify this, it is generally accepted that face tackling must have the contact at the shoulders or below (like spearing does). This is because targeting trumps face tackling above the shoulders.

The signal for any IHC, including targeting, is the personal foul signal followed by the IHC signal (fist to the side of the head).