Meaning & use
chop block
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableAmerican
An illegal block in American football in which one player hits a defender low while another blocker is already engaging him high.
Grammar: Can be counted: a chop block, two chop blocks.
Patterns
- a chop block on someone
- penalized for a chop block
The referee flagged the guard for a chop block on the defensive end.
A chop block can injure a player's knee or ankle.
The team lost fifteen yards after a chop block on the last drive.
Word forms
| plural | chop blocks |
|---|
Common combinations
- illegal chop block
- An illegal chop block wiped out the long gain.
- penalized for a chop block
- The tackle was penalized for a chop block.
- throw a chop block
- No lineman should throw a chop block.
- chop block penalty
- The chop block penalty cost them fifteen yards.
- flag for a chop block
- The official threw a flag for a chop block.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cut block
- Cut block means a legal low block against a defender who is not already engaged, whereas chop block is the illegal kind.
- low block
- Low block is a broad description that can be legal or illegal, while chop block is always a foul.
- illegal block
- Illegal block is the general category, with chop block being one specific type.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: chop block or chop block vs. clipping?
chop block vs chop block vs. clipping
A chop block is a low hit combined with a high one, while clipping is blocking an opponent from behind below the waist.
Practice
The tackle was flagged for a ___, an illegal low hit on an already engaged defender.
Choose one answer.
A chop block is the illegal low block. A screen pass, punt and touchdown are plays and scores, not blocks.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chop block”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.