So many NFL players have long hair

[Sogo]

flowing out the back of their helmets.....

Is it a penalty if someone on the opposing team grabs those locks?

[VarryOn]

1. Reason #34 why I no longer watch NFL football. Nt

[Ferrets are Cool]

12. You have a problem with long hair?

[VarryOn]

14. Flowing out of a football helmet? Yes.

Otherwise, I don’t care really.

[True Dough]

2. Your question even had the commentators stumped back in 2006

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty came from this play. Also noteworthy, Troy Polamalu handled it like a class act.

[Sogo]

3. "Video Unavailable."

Darn. I'd like to see it.

[True Dough]

4. Even if you click

on the link in the black box titled "Watch on YouTube"? It still doesn't work for you?

[Sogo]

8. Didn't know to do that, but it worked.

Thanks!

[likesmountains 52]

5. Click on the "watch on Youtube"

[Sogo]

7. That worked. Thanks.

[RockRaven]

6. Short answer -- grabbing the hair is legal.

You cannot grab certain parts of the uniform, but the hair is not the uniform.

If you consider how the rule would be abused by people growing extra-long hair (and spreading it out thinly like a veil or cape on purpose to draw penalties or prevent tackling of any kind), you can see why they don't make a rule protecting it. Keep your hair inside your helmet if you want people to keep their hands off of it.

[Sogo]

9. In the video in the post above, it was penalized in 2006.

But you're saying that it's now legal?

I wonder when the change occurred....

[Bristlecone]

10. About 2018. It's legal to grab someone's hair now. "Part of the body"

[RockRaven]

11. As far as I understand, it was made explicit in 2003, as noted in this article:

Where it is referred to as the "Ricky rule" (as in running back Ricky Williams)
https://www.racked.com/2018/2/1/16955990/nfl-long-hair-ricky-rule

It appears that prior to 2003 the rulebook was merely silent on the matter. That, of course, leads to ambiguity and divergent calls by different officials. Hence the need for an explicit rule. Confusion in 2006 would be understandable for a relatively obscure and rarely invoked rule.

There are other articles I have seen commenting on other rule changes since then which further emphasize in various ways that the hair is considered a body part. For instance, various rules which have to do with whether or not player A touched something (the ball, or player B) have been amended to include the hair in the list of body parts which count as having touched the thing in question.

[Auggie]

13. I haven't seen anyone tackled by hair in a long time

It's either professional courtesy or players are coached to tackle the right way -- wrap up the legs.