Goodell possible rule changes in works, kickoff elimination

[NIBGoldenchild]

I can't fathom how this will get voted in. I just can't see how Goodell could convince enough owners to outlaw kickoffs.

[Yakuza Rich]

Originally Posted by CanadianCowboysFan

no team would go for it all the time, risk far outweighs the reward

There is actually more evidence that suggests that ALWAYS going for it on 4th down is the right thing to do. There is a professor from California that NFL Films did a piece on where he recorded years of NFL data and that in the end, a team that ALWAYS goes for it on 4th down would be at a significant advantage. Obviously, it's tough to convince coaches, owners, etc. of that, but the evidence is there to suggest it.

That's what guys like Chip Kelly do, being unafraid to go for it on 4th and 3 at their own 28 yard line against conference rivals. The numbers support it. He uses more of a modified version of the statistical model which looks at the odds for each 4th down situation, but the model more suggests going for it than not going for it.

And we may end up with a situation where teams eventually decide to go for it every down because the numbers work in their way. Then we start to play half-field football. Or something disastrous may happen where the first team to score a TD wins 80% of the time. And records do matter to fans of any sport, which would now be completely off kilter.

Personally, I don't mind looking at the suggestion. But with Goodell, he's so eager to change things around, perhaps so he can make his mark on this league, that he may just institute it. This is what happens when your commissioner is hired to be a puppet for the owners.








YR

[Sean50Lee]

Roger Goodell is useless

[FiveRings]

Originally Posted by Yakuza Rich

One team keeping the ball every time is even more boring. And the entire offset of everything that could happen is so bizarre we wouldn't even recognize the game anymore. It's great if you're really into Arena Football. I'm not. It's a nice little novelty act.






YR

But the way we're seeing the game now the kickoff pretty much ends in a touchback or not 5 yards past the 20 yard line. At the very lead this could result in some field position changes, more strategy, etc.

[arglebargle]

Originally Posted by Yeagermeister

This is as stupid as the new OT rules. Just put the ball on the 20 and go for it.

Yep, way to complicate things, NFL.

They're just crazy. 'Hey, lets get rid of the most exciting plays in the NFL! Maybe we can get rid of punt returns too?'

[big dog cowboy]

Originally Posted by RS12

Instead of a kickoff, the team that scored would then take the ball on its own 30-yard line in, essentially, a 4th-and-15 situation. In other words, they could attempt to keep their offense on the field and try to pick up 15 yards, at the risk of turning the ball over on downs; or they could punt.

[burmafrd]

more of this BS about everyone gets an award for participation. Just the same garbage.

[juck]

Leather helmets and no pads like Rugby players. Then they wont stick their heads in there. lol

[Kangaroo]

Originally Posted by arglebargle

Yep, way to complicate things, NFL.

They're just crazy. 'Hey, lets get rid of the most exciting plays in the NFL! Maybe we can get rid of punt returns too?'

Punt returns are not as dangerous; as we see a lot less people getting injure don them than we do kickoffs.

I not necessarily against the move. Kickoffs are not exciting we have very few go for TD's in any given year and now days most end up in the end zone.

Makes it more interesting and strategy wise it is more appealing

[joseephuss]

Originally Posted by Yakuza Rich

There is actually more evidence that suggests that ALWAYS going for it on 4th down is the right thing to do. There is a professor from California that NFL Films did a piece on where he recorded years of NFL data and that in the end, a team that ALWAYS goes for it on 4th down would be at a significant advantage. Obviously, it's tough to convince coaches, owners, etc. of that, but the evidence is there to suggest it.

I think that study is pretty flawed. The occurrences of going for it on 4th down are far fewer than the times the ball was punted. Doesn't seem like a good way to get valid data.

I am not sure if this was part of the same study, but I had seen excerpts of one that had based some of their conclusions on data obtained from high school games. That made even less sense to me considering high school football and the NFL are drastically different.

[muck4doo]

Originally Posted by NIBGoldenchild

I can't fathom how this will get voted in. I just can't see how Goodell could convince enough owners to outlaw kickoffs.

Mara will be cheerleading it.

[Cajuncowboy]

I really despise this guy. At what point do they just change the name of the game because itis no longer "football"?

[JonJon]

Are there really that many injuries happening on kickoffs to even have this considered? I'd like to see the injury ratio for kickoff returns. I can't imagine it being that much higher than any other play.

[JoeyBoy718]

I read another forum where people were saying this would allow teams to go for it on 4th and 15 a lot more than they go for it now on the onside kickoff, but I don't agree with this. Even if the odds of converting a 4th and 15th were greater than converting an onside kick, the higher risk of not converting would offset the differences. Here is what I mean: If a team goes for it on 4th and 15, they're likely not going to risk throwing it shorter than 15 yards, so if they don't convert it, it will be because of an incomplete pass, giving the opposing team the ball on the 30 yard line, which is already in field goal range. A team kicking an onside kick from the 35 needs to go 10 yards before they can touch it, but it usually goes a few yards beyond that, and onside kicks (successful or not) are usually not returned for any yards--so if the team fails to convert an onside kick, the opposing team usually gets the ball on the 50 yard line, which is not field goal range for any kicker.

So, because of the higher risk of not converting a 4th and 15 from the 30, teams would only go for it when they really needed it, like it is now for the onside kick. I don't see this new rule changing the game or the strategy of the game at all.

[KB1122]

It's amazing how when John Mara wants to say something Roger Goodell's mouth moves.

That said, at least this new idea is better than the ridiculous state of the kickoff at the moment.

I want it to go back to the old way.