Hurdling to block kicks no longer allowed

Vanderbilt’s Zach Cunningham hurdled Auburn’s center for one of the best highlights of the 2016 season, but that leap won’t be allowed this season.

At the Southeastern Conference media days Tuesday, SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw showed film of Cunningham’s hurdle and field goal block and announced an NCAA rules change that prohibits such a play for player safety reasons.

“The old rule was very, very difficult. It mattered where you took off from, did you land on players or not, a lot of different components,” Shaw said. “What the rule now says (is) that if a defensive player runs forward and leaps or hurdles to block a field goal or an extra point, then it’s a foul. Now, the exception to that is if you’re in a stationary position within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage, then it’s legal. Then you can jump.”

In November, Cunningham blocked Auburn’s 35-yard field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter by taking a few steps for a head start, perfectly timing the snap and hurdling the long snapper without making contact with an opposing player.

Shaw said the new rule is for “player safety, not only for the hurdler or the leaper, but also from the standpoint of, as he’s leaping, if the center pulls up, he can kick him in the head or whatever. So the rules committee felt that we just needed this play out of the game.”

The Houston Texans drafted Cunningham, an All-American linebacker, in the second round. Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said, “Zach made it illegal. That’s nice. … It’s part of history now.”