NFL owners pass rule to place ball at 25 following fair catches on kickoffs

[Reverend Conehead]

This is seriously messed up. It's no longer tackle football. Might as well turn it into flag football.

I agree with this. What's the point of having kickoffs if you don't respect the yardage earned or not earned?

 

[J-man]

Turpin may soon be unemployed

 

[McKDaddy]

If you are going to do these things, why not just eliminate kickoffs and start at a certain point? Would speed up the game which is something else they are mindful of.

OR let the teams have options. For example, the receiving team could get the choice of a kickoff or starting at a certain position. IF no kick, the starting position is not the 25 but say the 20 because the receiving team is gaining time on the clock. IF they choose kickoff, they can't fair catch.

OR let the kicking team choose. If other team has a dangerous returner, maybe you want to avoid him. OR you work out a method to determine who has the option. For instance, something tied to penalties.

Without going into a long description let the decision have costs and play into the strategy of the game. For example, let's say the receiving team always gets the option BUT the kicking team can buy the option to run X seconds off the game clock when there is no kick in exchange for a timeout in the last 3 minutes of each half. Team going on defense might be inclined to spend a timeout they probably don't need to take some time off the clock.

 

[DCwarrior]

The next axe to drop will be on Punt returns. What will they do?

 

[Pantone282C]

This rule does not make the game of football better IMO.

Can't believe they all like it. What's the percentage of owner's votes necessary for league adoption of new rules? Get ready for more scoring!
So, did only 24 of 32 owners like the new rule change?

Edited

 

[TwistedL0g1k]

Bye Turpin....

 

[Creeper]

Can't believe they all like it. What's the percentage of owner's votes necessary for league adoption of new rules? Get ready for more scoring!
So, did only 24 of 32 owners like the new rule change?

Edited

I heard all 32 special teams coaches hate it.

 

[Jarntt]

 

[Pantone282C]

Yeah, they have been heading there. I get the part about concussions - is it that most of them are during kickoffs?

 

[Pantone282C]

I heard all 32 special teams coaches hate it.

Can't imagine they are in favor of it.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Yeah, they have been heading there. I get the part about concussions - is it that most of them are during kickoffs?

That's how they act. I don't recall seeing many injuries or concussions on kickoffs but maybe they have something that tells them there's injuries there.

 

[HungryLion]

I don't mind a ball placement rule, but the 25 yard line penalizes the kicker and the team.

I wouldn’t say penalizes since it’s the same as a touchback. Really this is just the NFL incentivizing the kickers to kick touchbacks as often as possible and reduce the number of returns even further.

 

[HungryLion]

I find it really strange that people get worked up over changes to special teams stuff. That's not football to begin with.

This is why I like the 4th-and-15 (or whatever) option after scoring: more football plays, fewer plays where you trot out the soccer player.
Move the goalposts closer together, make kicks harder. More football plays, fewer kicking plays.
These are changes that would make it more like tackle football.

Yes. And adjust the extra point rules.

1 point from the 1

2 points from the 2


No kicks.

Eliminate the kicker from the game other than field goals.

 

[Flamma]

This rule does not make the game of football better IMO.

It's not meant to make the game better. The NFL can do these things because for now, they can get away with it. What I don't understand is why any new league popping up would take a similar approach. Or come up with some other odd way to safely kickoff. Do they think fans like that? Is there some law in place that prohibits kickoffs from the 30 yard line? You would think any new league would try to be as good as can be, and forego some of the rules regarding safety. Two that come to mind are, kickoffs and roughing (touching) the passer. Those are not improvements to the game. Why would another league adopt something similar?

 

[JD_KaPow]

Yes. And adjust the extra point rules.

1 point from the 1

2 points from the 2


No kicks.

Eliminate the kicker from the game other than field goals.

I prefer:
a TD is worth 7 points.
If you choose, you can gamble one of those points on a try from the two. Make it and you win the point (8), miss it and you lose the point (6).

 

[JayFord]

if i kick the ball and its fair caught at the 5 then the offense should start at the 5

that was the point of me kicking it short im expecting my coverage unit to stop them short of the 25 yard line

this rule is beyond stupid

 

[HungryLion]

I prefer:
a TD is worth 7 points.
If you choose, you can gamble one of those points on a try from the two. Make it and you win the point (8), miss it and you lose the point (6).

that’s also a good system and way better than kicking for an XP

 

[G2]

Silly

 

[CT Dal Fan]

if i kick the ball and its fair caught at the 5 then the offense should start at the 5

that was the point of me kicking it short im expecting my coverage unit to stop them short of the 25 yard line

this rule is beyond stupid

It's a rule that sacrifices football sense in the name of player safety. But I agree with you, this one is so stupid. At this point they should just eliminate kickoffs and let teams start at the 25 for all possessions not starting with a turnover.

 

[Vanilla2]

N.F.L. catch rules complexity > Einstein theory of relativity.

Not really that hard