T.J. Ward hit on Ogletree: A Rules Discussion

There will be a lot of talk about the hit that T.J. Ward hit on Cowboys receiver Kevin Ogletree. You may not like the rules, but the latest NFL rules give referees latitude to call unnecessary roughness in their judgement at basically any time at all. So all the talk about whether T.J. Ward hit Ogletree in the chest or not is moot, unfortunately. Don’t mistake my explanation as justification for the rule. I don’t particularly like the rules, but it is important to understand them. From the official NFL rulebook, emphasis mine. Penalty: For unnecessary roughness: Loss of 15 yards. The player may be disqualified if the action is judged by the official(s) to be flagrant. Note: If in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactics, the covering official(s) should always call unnecessary roughness. And from the section on defenseless players, which Ogletree clearly was… (2) A receiver attempting to catch a pass; or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect ...