Do we need an onsides kick replacement?

[Reverend Conehead]

Keep the teams where they are lined up now for the regular kickoff, but if the kicker lands the ball between the coverage team and the fielding team, it's an onside kick. There's an element of surprise that way. Let the coverage team pursue it when it hits the ground between the teams but it still has to go 10 yards or be touched by a member of the fielding team before it can be recovered.

Of course, that might encourage teams to do an onside kick on every return. How often is one of the blockers going to get a big return out of it? Maybe they'd have to limit the number of times a team is allowed to onside kick so you'd have to strategize with it.

That might work. I'd be interested to know what percentage teams might recover it successfully under that system. If it's around 20 percent, I think we should go for this. If it's something like 50 percent, I think that's too high. Of course we don't have any stats to let us know.

 

[Creeper]

I also vote to go back to the old rules. That fixes the onside kicks issue. The current rule is just dumb.

 

[shabazz]

Go back to the old system they're trying to make it fun because if the UFL. I hate the kick off and the onsides.

^ This

The problem is that NFL lawyers and PR departments have more influence on NFL rules that any other group

 

[gimmesix]

That might work. I'd be interested to know what percentage teams might recover it successfully under that system. If it's around 20 percent, I think we should go for this. If it's something like 50 percent, I think that's too high. Of course we don't have any stats to let us know.

I don't think it would be that high. Isn't there only like 5 yards between the kicking team and the receiving team? That's a small window to hit, and there would be risk involved. If the kicking team doesn't place the ball between the 40 and 35, then they would have missed the landing zone and the receiving team gets the ball at the 40 (like they do when teams miss the landing zone now). That would add a level of precision to the effort because NFL kickers would have to practice getting the ball over their teammates and not past the receiving team. Ideally, they would want it to hit between them and take a hop.

I think it would be kind of fun to watch as kickers hit their teammates in the back or kick it too far, and certainly if they landed it, there would be a mad scramble for the ball since there is just the 5 yards between the teams. Would change the dynamics of kickoffs if teams at least had that option. Does the blockers let the kick bounce past them and have the return man run up to fall on it or do they try to catch it?

I don't think teams would use it much because of that small kicking window, but having the option to use it changes strategies and brings back the element of surprise and gamesmanship.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

They could do that, but then it makes a surprise onsides kick impossible. That was a dynamic part of the game that we've now lost. It was rare, and a major gamble, but sometimes teams would start the game or the second half with a surprise onsides kick. One team even did it in the Super Bowl, and successfully (the Saints, I think).

It was the saints that did it.

 

[gimmesix]

I like that idea.

Looking at the current NFL kickoff rules, the only modification I'd make to what I posted is the ball having to travel 10 yards. Since there is only 5 yards between the kicking team and receiving team, I think the kicking team should be able to recover the ball as soon as it hits.

The kicker would have a really small window to hit between the 40 and 35 and have to get it over his own teammates, so that would be quite a challenge, especially if the other team gets the ball at the 40 if he misses. I think if he is able to place it there, then the kicking team shouldn't be penalized by not being able to touch it until it goes essentially 5 yards past the receiving team. It would be more interesting if they could recover it as soon as it lands or it takes a backward bounce toward the kicking team.

Kicking from their own 35, I don't think teams would try the onside kick too often because of the difficulty of landing it between the teams and punishment for missing, but at least they would have that surprise option

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I don't think it would be that high. Isn't there only like 5 yards between the kicking team and the receiving team? That's a small window to hit, and there would be risk involved. If the kicking team doesn't place the ball between the 40 and 35, then they would have missed the landing zone and the receiving team gets the ball at the 40 (like they do when teams miss the landing zone now). That would add a level of precision to the effort because NFL kickers would have to practice getting the ball over their teammates and not past the receiving team. Ideally, they would want it to hit between them and take a hop.

I think it would be kind of fun to watch as kickers hit their teammates in the back or kick it too far, and certainly if they landed it, there would be a mad scramble for the ball since there is just the 5 yards between the teams. Would change the dynamics of kickoffs if teams at least had that option. Does the blockers let the kick bounce past them and have the return man run up to fall on it or do they try to catch it?

I don't think teams would use it much because of that small kicking window, but having the option to use it changes strategies and brings back the element of surprise and gamesmanship.

The more you describe this, the more I think it could work. Maybe they could test it in preseason or something. What you describe sounds like it would have far less than a 50% conversion rate. I'd bet it would be about 20. I wonder if they should consider doing it as a punt instead. Teams could try to punt it up high to give them time and then hopefully it lands in what I guess we would call the "recovery zone."