The term “targeting” is commonly used in college football to describe a dangerous hit, but in the NFL the equivalent concept goes by different rules. In the NFL, there is no rule literally called “targeting.” Instead, player safety rules penalize hits where a defender lowers his helmet to make forcible contact with a ballcarrier’s head or neck. These are often referred to in discussions as “helmet-to-helmet” or “defenseless player” violations. The NFL’s focus is on preventing serious injuries, so it has strict penalties for hits to the head or neck area, especially on defenseless receivers or quarterbacks.
In the NFL rulebook, the prohibition is on lowering the helmet to deliver force. Since 2018, the language has explicitly made it a foul if “a player lowers his head and makes forcible contact with the helmet against an opponent.” In simpler terms, defenders must use their shoulder or tackle through the torso; hitting an opponent with the crown of the helmet in the head/neck area is illegal. The key difference from college: the NFL does not call it “targeting,” and it applies more broadly to any situation on the field, not just on vulnerable receivers.
For example, if a defender delivers a helmet-first hit to any player with the ball (or even to a receiver who just caught a pass but is concentrating on catching, often called a “defenseless receiver”), that is illegal helmet contact. The NFL has been emphasizing this rule to protect players, especially since research showed head impacts can cause concussions. Referees are trained to watch for “forcible” helmet contact in the head/neck area and throw a flag for unnecessary roughness if they see it.
If a player violates this rule, the penalty is 15 yards for unnecessary roughness. However, unlike in college football, the NFL does not automatically eject a player for a targeting-like hit. Whether to eject a player is up to the referees’ discretion. Most of the time, a flag and yardage penalty are imposed on the spot and the game continues. After the game, the play is reviewed by the league office, and players may receive fines or suspensions depending on the severity (especially if the hit causes injury).
In contrast, in college football a targeting foul (for an illegal head hit) results in an automatic ejection of the player for the remainder of the game (and the first half of the next game, if it happens in the first half). The NFL leaves the decision to eject up to the crew on field, so ejections in the NFL for head hits are rare. More often the league imposes a fine (as determined by the NFL’s video replay review committee).
This rule matters because it is all about player safety. The NFL has made head injuries a major concern. By strictly penalizing helmet-to-helmet hits, they hope to reduce concussions and catastrophic injuries. Coaches also emphasize tackling with shoulders, not heads. Every penalty enforcement during games reinforces that message.
However, the lack of a required ejection leads to some confusion and debate among fans and players. A hit that looks identical may get an ejection in college but only a 15-yard penalty in the NFL. This difference is sometimes called out by fans who expect a player to be kicked out for what is essentially the same foul. The NFL’s stance is that it wants to keep players on the field but punish them through yardage, fines, or suspensions, believing that sufficient deterrence can be applied without automatically ending a defender’s game.
The “targeting” or helmet rule affects how defenders approach tackles. In recent seasons, defenders have been coached to keep their heads up and lead with the shoulder. It also influences how quarterbacks decide to slide or “give themselves up” to avoid big hits. High-profile cases (such as controversial plays involving stars like Nick Bosa or Aaron Rodgers) have brought attention to this rule. When such plays happen, commentators often mention “targeting” even though the official term is different in the NFL.
The NFL’s version of the targeting rule is a head/neck contact rule. A player who lowers his helmet into another player’s head or neck area is penalized 15 yards. There is no automatic ejection; discipline beyond the penalty is handled separately by league review. The goal is to keep players safer by discouraging violent hits to the head. Understanding this rule helps fans appreciate the emphasis on safety and why certain hits draw penalties (and potentially fines), even if the language and penalties differ from what they might expect from college football’s targeting rule.
