NFL changes kickoff rule

[NickMordo]

This won't help Jacoby Ford, either.

Or Josh Cribbs or Leon Washington (who just got an extension) or kicker Billy Cundiff (who just got an extension) or Brad Smith.

 

[zagoshe]

Somewhere YGBFM and RickStain are crying because their precious team's best player was just rendered obsolete.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

 

[Boom_70]

I'm old school . Let's see it go back to the 40 so they can boot it into the stands like Jan Stenerud used to do.

 

[apeman33]

I'm guessing nobody will be happy with this and there will be one of three courses taken:
1) Go back to the 30 again.
2) Eliminate kickoffs.
3) Force returners out with a rule like the CFL's rouge. They might still concede the point early in the game, but not late in a close game.

 

[NickMordo]

Apparently, on NFL Live it was said that the rules committee really discussed eliminating kickoffs altogether. Are they trying to kill the game? It's FOOTBALL.

 

[YGBFKM]

Somewhere YGBFM and RickStain are crying because their precious team's best player was just rendered obsolete.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Your team's best player is Davon Bess.

 

[YGBFKM]

I think they should eliminate "kick"offs and just go old-school sandlot, with the team's QB heaving the ball as far as he can downfield to start a possession. In fact, that might make Cutler a legend.

 

[Situation]

IF they really want to save money, they'll have 'all-time' quarterbacks.

 

[Football_Bat]

The NFL could throw the receiving team a bone by bringing the ball out to the 25 or 30 instead of the 20 on touchbacks.

 

[YGBFKM]

The NFL could throw the receiving team a bone by bringing the ball out to the 25 or 30 instead of the 20 on touchbacks.

The 25 was part of the original proposal before it was modified to change only the kickoff placement.

 

[Knighthawk]

I think they should eliminate "kick"offs and just go old-school sandlot, with the team's QB heaving the ball as far as he can downfield to start a possession. In fact, that might make Cutler a legend.

That would extend Jason Hanson's career even further. He has the most incredible arm you've ever seen. The greatest random sporting event would be a long-drive competition between Hanson, Brandon Inge and half the Red Wings.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

They should put the ball at midfield, then have the player from each team who is the best combination of speed and toughness start on their own goal lines, and each sprint to the ball.

That would be cool and cutting edge.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

They should put the ball at midfield, then have the player from each team who is the best combination of speed and toughness start on their own goal lines, and each sprint to the ball.

That would be cool and cutting edge.

He Hate Me

 

[Starman]

Law of unintended consequences: This will result in more teams instructing their kickers to go for high, booming, long-hang-time, punt-type kickoffs which drop down inside the 10 with the returner getting absolutely bulldozed by the coverage team, resulting in a) disastrous field position, b) higher chances of fumbles, and of course, c) higher chance of injury.

See, I don't buy this. And the reason I don't buy this is because every time you see a team kick off from, say, the 45 after a personal foul, the kicker tries to blast the ball through the uprights.

And every time I see it, it drives me a little nuts, because your argument is right. Teams should skyrocket the ball and make the opposition field it in play... because it's a live freaking ball. But they don't, and I'm guessing they won't.

Remember when they came in with the shot clock and 3-point shot in college basketball in the mid-to-late 80s?

Everybody assumed scoring was going to rocket to the moon. After a brief bump in the late 80s/early 90s (mainly fueled by UNLV and Loyola Marymount and a few teams trying to copy them), scores sunk, a process which has continued most of the past 20 years.

With the kickoff rule change, somebody will try to **** around the edges of "conventional wisdom." At first most teams will boot it deep, but after a few teams win big games after hammering kick returners into fumbling on their own 5, things will swing the other way.

Remember, the payoff for this is way, way better than an onside kick. Instead of recovering the ball on your own 45, you're recovering it on the opponent's 5.

If it doesn't work, maybe 1 time in 20 the stud returner runs it back down your throat. Of the remaining 19, probably 5 go in the end zone anyway, and probably 10 the KR either calls for a fair catch or goes straight to the ground.

 

[DanOregon]

I don't think so. NFL coaches are control freaks by nature. If they can control where the receiving team gets the ball every time - they will. Tell the kicker to hammer it between the hashes for a touchback.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

Law of unintended consequences: This will result in more teams instructing their kickers to go for high, booming, long-hang-time, punt-type kickoffs which drop down inside the 10 with the returner getting absolutely bulldozed by the coverage team, resulting in a) disastrous field position, b) higher chances of fumbles, and of course, c) higher chance of injury.

See, I don't buy this. And the reason I don't buy this is because every time you see a team kick off from, say, the 45 after a personal foul, the kicker tries to blast the ball through the uprights.

And every time I see it, it drives me a little nuts, because your argument is right. Teams should skyrocket the ball and make the opposition field it in play... because it's a live freaking ball. But they don't, and I'm guessing they won't.

Remember when they came in with the shot clock and 3-point shot in college basketball in the mid-to-late 80s?

Everybody assumed scoring was going to rocket to the moon. After a brief bump in the late 80s/early 90s (mainly fueled by UNLV and Loyola Marymount and a few teams trying to copy them), scores sunk, a process which has continued most of the past 20 years.

With the kickoff rule change, somebody will try to **** around the edges of "conventional wisdom." At first most teams will boot it deep, but after a few teams win big games after hammering kick returners into fumbling on their own 5, things will swing the other way.

Remember, the payoff for this is way, way better than an onside kick. Instead of recovering the ball on your own 45, you're recovering it on the opponent's 5.

If it doesn't work, maybe 1 time in 20 the stud returner runs it back down your throat. Of the remaining 19, probably 5 go in the end zone anyway, and probably 10 the KR either calls for a fair catch or goes straight to the ground.

I think it can't work; they can't get down the field fast enough.

 

[Bamadog]

If they're going to do that, they might as well go with the rouge. I hate the rules change because:

• It takes away one of the most exciting plays in football, the kickoff return for a touchdown.
• Teams will be relying on kickers to boot it with some hangtime to the 5 or so, where violent collisions will increase. Unless the balls rolls into the end zone or out of bounds.

I'm all about increasing safety for these guys, especially in light of the research into the link between Alzheimer's and brain injury, but there's got to be a better way to do it than this.

 

[outofplace]

You all do realize they are putting it at the 35, not midfield, right?

This is just a return to the old rules. Sure, there will be more touchbacks, but it's not like every kickoff is going to be through the end zone or a pooch kick inside the five.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

With the kickoff rule change, somebody will try to **** around the edges of "conventional wisdom." At first most teams will boot it deep, but after a few teams win big games after hammering kick returners into fumbling on their own 5, things will swing the other way.

Remember, the payoff for this is way, way better than an onside kick. Instead of recovering the ball on your own 45, you're recovering it on the opponent's 5.

If it doesn't work, maybe 1 time in 20 the stud returner runs it back down your throat. Of the remaining 19, probably 5 go in the end zone anyway, and probably 10 the KR either calls for a fair catch or goes straight to the ground.

That's insane, and it never happened when teams kicked off from the 35 before. And for it to happen this time you'd be asking kickers to have more than six seconds of hang time while also being able to spot the ball exactly at the five yard line, give or take a yard. Did you even think that through?

What you'll see out of this is more touchbacks. But the whole concept and strategy for kick returns aren't going to be dramatically overhauled. Lots of kickoffs are fielded around the 10 yard line, and now they'll be taken from the 5, or perhaps the goal line. The acrimony of this one is overblown hysteria. The more important rule change is the one regarding replay and scoring plays. That's been long overdue and it's the first thing NFL owners have gotten right in years.

But all you armchair special teams coaches who think the kickoff rule is going to bastardize the game need to re-think your brilliance.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Dear FH. It is logical to expect that the primary effect of the kickoff rule will be an average loss of five yards in field position for the offense. I don't know how that translates into reduced scoring, but I'm sure every NFL coach has a stat chart telling him the number.
Is that a wild change? No, but a change it is. I do agree with you about the scoring replay change. How many quarterback sneak TDs have we seen where it was obvious the officials were completely split as to what they saw?