New kickoff rule in action

[RustyBourneHorse]

The new kickoff rule was in action today during the Texans Bears game in Canton (that finished in the 3rd quarter due to weather issues). Frankly, it looked terrible. It looks like a convoluted mess. For those who didn't see the game, here's my way of understanding the new rule.

So, apparently, the kicker kicks from the usual spot, while the rest of the kicking team lines up at the opposing 40 and can't move until the ball is fielded. If a team needs to hold the kickoff, then a 12 player can be brought on to hold (but must vacate the field immediately upon the ball being kicked). The ball must then land between the 20 and the goal line. If it's in the end zone, apparently, the ball is placed at the 30. Oh, and you can't kick an onside kick until the 4th, and you must be losing and must announce that you're going to kick it.

The onside kick rule is stupid. Tbf, it's usually obvious when you're going to do it, but I liked when Pat McAfee would look for the gap in the coverage and kick a suicide onside kick where he would run the 10 yards and fall on the ball when there was a gap and the receiving team didn't notice. Clever way to get the ball back. Additionally, recovering an onside kick is difficult as it is. This may make the odds even lower. Why not add a 4th and 12 option? That way, the team behind has a choice as to how they want to try to get the ball back.

All in all, I thought the first use of the kickoff rule looked stupid.



bur

 

[Longboysfan]

 

[Cowboys5217]

Fixing what wasn't broke.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Horrible!!!!

Whoever came up with this idea needs to be fired. No need to continue this mistake throughout the preseason. Bring the original kickoff back!

 

[DCBoysfan]

Turpin should bring at least 3 back for TD‘s this year.

 

[thunderpimp91]

It was an uneventful night for the new kickoff yesterday, but overall I really like the change. The original kickoff was a waste of time if they wont move the kicker back another 5 yards as they're almost all touchbacks or terrible decisions by runners to try a return. Looking at the returns from yesterday there are a lot of open seams that could be exploited come the regular season. It'll be a fun play to watch once the real games start.

The things I hate about it are the onside kick rules as well as the aesthetics of it. I do think a big game like the super bowl wont be quite the same without the iconic imagery of the opening kickoff.

 

[jwitten82]

I honestly didn't even know they played yesterday

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Fixing what wasn't broke.

Exactly, and I'm expecting the onside kick to be impossible to recover now.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Horrible!!!!

Whoever came up with this idea needs to be fired. No need to continue this mistake throughout the preseason. Bring the original kickoff back!

I couldn't agree more

 

[speedkilz88]

Horrible!!!!

Whoever came up with this idea needs to be fired. No need to continue this mistake throughout the preseason. Bring the original kickoff back!

The nfl isn't going to bring back the original because of injuries. So it's either this or just remove it completely.

I don't have an issue with this way except for the not moving until it's caught. I wonder how consistent the refs will be on that.

 

[jwitten82]

Horrible!!!!

Whoever came up with this idea needs to be fired. No need to continue this mistake throughout the preseason. Bring the original kickoff back!

I don't see why they had to make such drastic changes. If they were worried about so many touchbacks, why not just move the kickers 10 yards back?

 

[speedkilz88]

I don't see why they had to make such drastic changes. If they were worried about so many touchbacks, why not just move the kickers 10 yards back?

They want to prevent the kickoff team from going full speed into collisions. Moving the kicker back would also move the kickoff team back under the old rules.

 

[MarcusRock]

I honestly didn't even know they played yesterday

You call yourself a fan of the game????


I didn't know either.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I don't see why they had to make such drastic changes. If they were worried about so many touchbacks, why not just move the kickers 10 yards back?

It has more to do with injury rates than touchbacks.

 

[fivetwos]

Probably because they feel as if they can’t eliminate the onside kick, but it seems as if they are making this more difficult than it needs to be.

Just have a kickoff to begin each half only rather than after each score. Most of them will be touchbacks anyway. There would be less than one actual return per game.

The one kickoff I saw from last night….the returner still took a pretty good pop.

I always thought the onside kick was ridiculous an unfair, so I have no problem with it being gone….but let’s be honest here….they want the ability for teams to come back to keep TV sets on, and since money rules everything, we have this absurd and awkward looking play.

 

[blueblood70]

Well it's good practice for them and I realize it's just preseason but dude that looked boring it looked like a short kick into an area and then everything looks like a scrum and there was no openings for big runs at least from my perspective but maybe it is because most of the backups are playing... Seems to me why would you give them a chance to run the ball back anyway I mean if this is gonna be a dangerous play that the the people receiving the ball could end up taking it back for big yardage why not just kick the touchback I mean aren't you still allowed to Kick It Out of the back of the end zone because our kicker can Kick It Out of the back of the end zone like 90% of the time... I'd rather put the ball on the 30 everyone acts like that's a big deal but looking at last night I'd rather kick it short and then hardly they even got back to the 25 but if this is supposed to be like fun and exciting it didn't look like it to me//

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Probably because they feel as if they can’t eliminate the onside kick, but it seems as if they are making this more difficult than it needs to be.

Just have a kickoff to begin each half only rather than after each score. Most of them will be touchbacks anyway. There would be less than one actual return per game.

The one kickoff I saw from last night….the returner still took a pretty good pop.

I always thought the onside kick was ridiculous an unfair, so I have no problem with it being gone….but let’s be honest here….they want the ability for teams to come back to keep TV sets on, and since money rules everything, we have this absurd and awkward looking play.

Which is why I think a team should have a choice between an onside kick or a 4th and 12 conversion.

 

[blueblood70]

The new kickoff rule was in action today during the Texans Bears game in Canton (that finished in the 3rd quarter due to weather issues). Frankly, it looked terrible. It looks like a convoluted mess. For those who didn't see the game, here's my way of understanding the new rule.

So, apparently, the kicker kicks from the usual spot, while the rest of the kicking team lines up at the opposing 40 and can't move until the ball is fielded. If a team needs to hold the kickoff, then a 12 player can be brought on to hold (but must vacate the field immediately upon the ball being kicked). The ball must then land between the 20 and the goal line. If it's in the end zone, apparently, the ball is placed at the 30. Oh, and you can't kick an onside kick until the 4th, and you must be losing and must announce that you're going to kick it.

The onside kick rule is stupid. Tbf, it's usually obvious when you're going to do it, but I liked when Pat McAfee would look for the gap in the coverage and kick a suicide onside kick where he would run the 10 yards and fall on the ball when there was a gap and the receiving team didn't notice. Clever way to get the ball back. Additionally, recovering an onside kick is difficult as it is. This may make the odds even lower. Why not add a 4th and 12 option? That way, the team behind has a choice as to how they want to try to get the ball back.

All in all, I thought the first use of the kickoff rule looked stupid.



bur

I agree and I think it's just because it's new and I don't think the starters are on the field especially the returners... But yeah I don't see a reason anyway if it is something that's dangerous and and why would you give your opponent an opportunity to bring it back just Kick It Out of the back of the end zone I mean people are making a big deal on this you can still get touchbacks correct? So now they move the ball to the 30 I mean I would do that if if this turns out to be something that becomes big chunk yardage and scoring for your opponent why would you just not Kick It Out of the back of the end zone I mean there's a lot of good kickers in this league that can kick touchbacks like a lot...

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I agree and I think it's just because it's new and I don't think the starters are on the field especially the returners... But yeah I don't see a reason anyway if it is something that's dangerous and and why would you give your opponent an opportunity to bring it back just Kick It Out of the back of the end zone I mean people are making a big deal on this you can still get touchbacks correct? So now they move the ball to the 30 I mean I would do that if if this turns out to be something that becomes big chunk yardage and scoring for your opponent why would you just not Kick It Out of the back of the end zone I mean there's a lot of good kickers in this league that can kick touchbacks like a lot...

Exactly, and touchbacks are fine. It's the safest possible outcome of a kickoff.

 

[America's Cowboy]

I agree and I think it's just because it's new and I don't think the starters are on the field especially the returners... But yeah I don't see a reason anyway if it is something that's dangerous and and why would you give your opponent an opportunity to bring it back just Kick It Out of the back of the end zone I mean people are making a big deal on this you can still get touchbacks correct? So now they move the ball to the 30 I mean I would do that if if this turns out to be something that becomes big chunk yardage and scoring for your opponent why would you just not Kick It Out of the back of the end zone I mean there's a lot of good kickers in this league that can kick touchbacks like a lot...

Why would you want to kick it out of the endzone to only give the opponent the ball at the 30? That would make the field shorter for them to get into scoring position.

Tinkering owners and the NFL need to eradicate this move and simply bring the original kickoff back. I want to see tackle football, not touch/flag football.