Tom Higgins
CFL.ca

Q: Can you please explain why a penalty was called on the Saskatchewan Roughriders in overtime against the Calgary Stampeders when the quarterback fell to the ground and was hit by a Saskatchewan player?

A: Player safety is the reason that this rule was adopted three years ago.  The rules committee felt that a player in possession of the football who is down on the ground could not protect himself.  So the unnecessary roughness section in the rule book states, “Any player in possession of the ball, who falls to the ground without contact and is not attempting to advance the ball, may only be touched down and may not be contacted in any other manner.”

Q: On the weekend the officials called a pyramiding penalty. Can you explain the rule?

A: This past weekend we had a pyramiding penalty called in the Saskatchewan-Calgary game.  Like most fans, you have to watch a lot of football to see or hear this call.  It is called very infrequently. There is a safety factor involved with this rule.  Without a pyramiding rule, we would have players being launched into the air like the Edmonton Eskimo Cheer Team does with their cheerleaders.  The rule states, “It shall be illegal for a player to use the body of another player or the goal post assembly in any way to gain elevation in an attempt to block a field goal or a convert attempt.”

Q: I’m confused as to what is considered a face masking penalty. A few times this season I have seen players grab the top or side of another player’s helmet and no penalty has been called. What is the rule?

A: Face guard (mask) penalties have been with us for a long time.  The first masks were being developed and used in the 1950s.  This too has safety written all over it.  The face masks were developed to protect the athlete wearing the helmet.  The mask protected the wearer but gave an opponent something else to grab. It is a dangerous situation when the face mask is grabbed and therefore an unnecessary roughness penalty.  The rule book states simply it is illegal to "grasp an opponent’s face guard."