Chop Block Question

[lilrabbi]

First, I thought a chop block was simply when an offensive blocker dives below the knees of a defender, but according to Wikipedia it is a little more than that:

"Chop block (American Football), a play in which one or more players of the same team are in contact with an opposing team's player, one of whom is blocking at or below the knees."

Are chop blocks entirely legal in college football, or are the Oregon Ducks just allowed to do it because of who they are? I'm watching the Oregon/OSU game and Oregon is chop blocking on 60%-70% of their offensive plays and no flags have been thrown for it. What gives?

 

[big10fan]

you're thinking cut block. chop block is when two players are engaged and another comes and low cuts the guy.

 

[yaman3]

What Oregon does is fine in general. A player is allowed to block low as long as:

A. The defensive player is not engaged with another blocker

and

B. the offensive player is not moving from the outside of the field to the inside

A violation to the first is a chop block and a violation to the second is an illegal block below the waist.

 

[lilrabbi]

Yeah, I just figured that out. They cut block 70% of the time and chop block 10% of the time. Twice the left tackle has engaged with the defensive player just before the left guard dove at the guy's knees. This was all on Oregon's first extended possession (after the fumble). I wonder if Oregon does that at the beginning to make the defense more wary of attacking.

 

[big10fan]

remember how cute georgia tech thought they were about the amazing cut blocks they do? it works to keep the DL down so they can't get into passing lanes/windows, but it certainly has its drawbacks.