Kayvon Thibodeaux injury wasn’t result of illegal play: Explaining NFL rules on cut blocks
Kayvon Thibodeaux was injured in Sunday’s Giants Week 2 game against the Bengals, leading many to question whether the block that injured him was actually legal.
Thibodeaux’s injury came in the second quarter of the game when sophomore Thaddeus Moss pushed to the right behind the offensive line, eventually going down and knocking out the rookie EDGE defender.
Thibodeaux was down for a few moments before waving off an injured car and walking off the field under his own power.
not good pic.twitter.com/zcKK6ull4O
— S͎ønnÿ (@SonnyxDigital) August 22, 2022
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Reports on Monday suggested Thibodeaux will be out for three to four weeks with a right MCL sprain and could even be in line to play the opener of Giant’s Week 1.
Regardless, those who witnessed the unfortunate incident — like former NFL linebacker and Fox Sports commentator Emmanuel Acho — called Moss’ block “ridiculous, dangerous, and cowardly”:
This is ridiculous, dangerous and cowardly! Just cowardly. Prayers for Kayvon Thibodeaux.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) August 22, 2022
Was the block that injured Kayvon Thibodeaux illegal?
Moss performed what is known as a “cut block” on Thibodeaux, in which one player blocks another player below the waist.
One could argue that players should try to cut blocks in a meaningless preseason game. But from a legal standpoint, not only was Moss’ pad not dirty, it was legal. That’s true even after the NFL expanded the definition of illegally cut blocks in 2021.
MORE: Kayvon Thibodeaux injury update: Giants rookie exits preseason game after taking cut-block to right knee
Pursuant to Rule 8, Section 4, Article 5 of the 2022 NFL Rulebook:
Blocks below the waist are prohibited in the following situations:
A) by players of both teams after a change of possession; or
B) by players of the kicking team after a free kick, safety kick, fair catch kick, punt, field goal attempt or try kick; or
C) By players of the receiving team during a down that is a free kick, safety kick, fair catch kick, punt, field goal attempt, or try kick.
D) By players of either team during a scrimmage down prior to a change of possession, unless contact occurs in the tight end box. (Note: Players are prohibited from initiating contact below an opponent’s waist outside of the tight end box, except against a runner or a player attempting to catch a forward or reverse pass).
The “tight end box” is the crux of the rule. The NFL defines it as an “area two yards outside of the normal tackle position and extending five yards to either side of the line of scrimmage.”
Since Moss’ block was well inside the tight end box, the rule allowed it.
MORE: Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux donates $50,000 to the charity of Graham Gano, who chose to wear the No. 5 jersey
Additionally, Moss’ block didn’t meet any of the other criteria that would otherwise make it illegal:
- Illegal cut block (cut block outside the tight end box on a scrimmage down)
- Clipping (hitting a player from behind below the waist)
- “Peel Back” block (a blocker moves towards his own line OR approaches the opponent from behind or from the side)
- Chop block (attacking an opponent below the waist after they’ve already been attacked by another blocker above the waist)
- Crackback block (come back to football and block low or hit a player in the head or neck area)
The only other rule under which Moss Block could be considered illegal would be if Thibodeaux were a defenseless player. Thibodeaux, who saw Moss coming and failed to deliver his cut-block attempt, met none of these criteria, including:
- A player receiving a “blindside” block when the offensive blocker’s path is toward or parallel to his own endline
- A player protected from an illegal crackback block
It is unfortunate that Thibodeaux was injured during the game. But the play that led to his injury was neither illegal nor dirty.
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