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Read other letters about this article
King, I wish you'd have explained exactly what the penalty called on Hasselbeck was.
(Before I get into this, it was a bad call. But, after reading many of yesterday's letters, most people are confused as to what the penalty was).
Hasselbeck was not flagged for making an illegal block. He was flagged for going low on a blocker.
When you're a defender, the only person you're allowed to hit below the waist is the ballcarrier. If you go low on a blocker, you'll be flagged (assuming the refs see it). The derivation of this rule is because of a couple of blockers having their knees blown out years ago when they were engaged with Defender A and Defender B hit them low, taking them down awkwardly.
That said, Hasselbeck was making a tackle, and the contact with the defender was incidental. But, please, understand what the penalty was before whining about it, Seattle fans.
