# Offensive linemen in football:  Why the rule change?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/offensive-linemen-in-football-why-the-rule-change/149815>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 20, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/offensive-linemen-in-football-why-the-rule-change/149815 "2003-01-20T16:31:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/offensive-linemen-in-football-why-the-rule-change/149815/1 "2003-01-20T16:31:13Z")

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OK, I’m no expert in football rules, but here’s what I believe:

For most of the history of American football, offensive linemen were not allowed to use outstretched armes. They had to keep there arms folded in and block with their elbows.

A quarter century or so ago, the rules were changed, and now they can block with their arms (so I would think there are a lot more “holding” as a result, but that’s another story).

Anyway, why was the rule changed?

My speculation: It made it easier to block marauding defenders, giving the QB more time to pass, resulting in higher scoring (and “less boring”) games.

Anyone??

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**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/offensive-linemen-in-football-why-the-rule-change/149815/2 "2003-01-20T16:47:27Z")

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This is a complete guess, but I’d say the rule was changed the instant quarterbacks became, on average, the highest-paid players in the league. The blocking rule is specifically designed to make it harder to kill quarterbacks.

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**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/offensive-linemen-in-football-why-the-rule-change/149815/3 "2003-01-20T17:06:17Z")

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see [this](http://www.jcfb.com/board/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=870)