OhSnap
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Did it work? After one season the NFL's competition committee boasted that concussions were down 40 percent on kickoffs in 2011. Earlier this year, NFL injury data suggested a 13-percent decrease in concussions on all types of plays. In addition to kicking from the 35, the coverage team can line up only five yards behind the kickoff line, minimizing a running start.
The desired outcome of increased safety has seemingly been achieved, but some will say the excitement has dissipated with so many touchbacks. However, TV
ratings will refute any loss of interest and the records for offensive yardage have been rewritten every season since 2009. The latter would make sense even to fans with no interest in numbers. Well, they're starting at the 20 so often now, of course there are more yards to gain!
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Let's do a quick math estimation on the increase in yardage coming from the kickoff rule change. As I mentioned before, a new league record for offensive yards per game has been set every season since 2009. In 2010, the benchmark was 336.0. However, touchbacks started going up in 2006. With an average of roughly 830 more touchbacks per season in 2011-13 compared to 2006-10, that's about 26 more drives per team that start at the 20 instead of the previous post-kickoff average around the 27-yard line.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2014/impact-nfls-kickoff-rule-change
The desired outcome of increased safety has seemingly been achieved, but some will say the excitement has dissipated with so many touchbacks. However, TV
ratings will refute any loss of interest and the records for offensive yardage have been rewritten every season since 2009. The latter would make sense even to fans with no interest in numbers. Well, they're starting at the 20 so often now, of course there are more yards to gain!..............................................................................................
Let's do a quick math estimation on the increase in yardage coming from the kickoff rule change. As I mentioned before, a new league record for offensive yards per game has been set every season since 2009. In 2010, the benchmark was 336.0. However, touchbacks started going up in 2006. With an average of roughly 830 more touchbacks per season in 2011-13 compared to 2006-10, that's about 26 more drives per team that start at the 20 instead of the previous post-kickoff average around the 27-yard line.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2014/impact-nfls-kickoff-rule-change