FOX Sports' Alex Marvez is reporting that the NFL's Competition Committe, of which Colts chairman Bill Polian is a powerful member, is planning proposed rules intended ban or curtail curtail 'launching' by defenders. The intent is to improve player safety by, essentially, making it extremely illegal for any defender to leave his feet to strike an opponent with his helmet and upper torso.
A source told FOXSports.com that the league’s competition committee will make its revised pitch to teams at next week’s spring owners meeting in Indianapolis. Tabled at another NFL owners meeting in March, a lengthy proposal that some teams thought was too vague and expansive will now be presented as three separate rules.
The measures are designed to provide further protection for "defenseless" wide receivers, i.e. those attempting to catch a pass or who have completed a catch and not had time to protect themselves or clearly become a runner.
In general, this 're-launch' of 'anti-launching' rules sound good. People like me love football because we like seeing touchdowns, tackling, interceptions... not players concussed and motionless on the field. If this were done during John Lynch's playing days, he never would have been a Pro Bowler. The man made a living launching, helmet first, into players.
I personally don't think these rules are meant to curtail the kinds of hits Austin Collie took last year, which resulted in three concussions. All of those hits did not involve launching. I think the new rules are meant to lay the kybosh on fools like Brandon Meriweather of the Patriots.