I am curious as to when the rule was changed for assisting a runner. I am going off the top of my head but wasn't it a rule you couldn't assist the runner (in goal line or short yardage plays)? I swear that is why on the famous Ice Bowl sneak you see the player behind Star put his arms up in the air so they don't flag him for assisting the runner. But now this year you see the Eagles and Bills use it alot where they setup for the qb sneak but line big guys up behing the qb and they push the guy forward. It look like an unstoppable play and the stats pretty much show it. So when did the rule change or am I wrong and there wasn't a rule about it.

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The rule is you can't pull the ball carrier. 

2006 the push part of the rule was removed. Someone might wanna fact check that last part. 

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I assumed this was about PFT's articles talking about this.

During the 2022 NFL season, we noticed multiple examples of offensive players pulling ball carriers in the open field. The officials failed to call it, even though the officials recently had been reminded of the rule.

As noted at the time, the rule against pushing or pulling the runner changed in 2006, allowing the pushing but banning the pulling. 


 

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If I recall, the prior rule was the offensive player couldn't push the ball carrier but he could block for him. When they were in a scrum it was nearly impossible to definitely say that the blocker had all of the defender and none of the ball carrier. Refs rarely called it. I suppose they would have if the offensive blocker was behind the ball carrier and came running up to him and shoved him with his hands while extending his arms. That would have been blatant. 

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This is what they do lol look the running back is pushing Hurts and the TE grabs him and pulls him in

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there used to be a rule, called crawling, which is essentially pushing the ball carrier. It is illegal. But it was never called.

It is occasionally called in high school football.

However, it is not illegal to push other blockers.

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We need to do this with Dillon

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i have wondered why, on short yardage, we don’t line up Dillon at the traditional QB  position and the QB at shot gun.  

If the D does not sell out on the sneak, run it, if they stack it, snap it through Dillon’s legs to the QB and pass

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