Baltimore Ravens

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh not happy with latest NFL rule change

Published Mar. 24, 2016 7:16 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

The NFL passed a number of rules changes earlier this week, but one in particular has irked Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

The Super Bowl-winning coach isn't pleased that all chop blocks are now illegal, which could negatively affect the Ravens' zone running scheme.

"Teams have been running the stretch-zone scheme for years," Harbaugh said, via the Ravens' website. "Look at Denver. Look at Houston. It's a great finesse run play."

This change appears to be another measure to make the game safer. NFL Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino played footage from a Seattle Seahawks game, which showed a Seahawks guard delivered a blow to the knees of a defensive lineman, who was being blocked by the center.

"Defensive linemen don't want it because they don't want to have to worry about the cut block," Harbaugh said. "They want to hold onto that center and pull themselves through, so two guys are free runners to go hit the back. That cut block on the back side protects the running back from getting smashed in the side of the head from backside pursuit. And it does not put the defensive linemen in any kind of danger, unless it is done as a post and a cut -- which if you told that one team, 'That's out, you're going to get called for that. Don't do it anymore.' -- we wouldn't have this conversation."