Rules Rewind #1 - Horse Collar Tackle

In this series, I will try to research some of the confusing calls we see each week, hoping to add some clarity to the subject.

#1 - Horse Collar tackle. Most of us know what this is, but here are some of the points you may not be aware of. We saw this last week in the Houston vs. Giants game.
1 - The defender (or person the foul is being called on) must grab the player "inside the collar".
2 - The player must be pulled all the way to the ground. For instance, if a player has the opposing player by the collar and either lets go or the player gets away, it is not a foul.
3 - It must immediate.
4 - This DOES NOT apply to the quarterback in the pocket.
5- This DOES NOT apply to a runner in "close line play" or tackle vs. tackle