Getting rid of kickoffs
After yesterday's targeting on Edwards, Klatt once again brought up the prospect of removing kickoffs from the college game.
After resisting for a long time, I think I am finally there.
One likely proposal would be:
- Every team starts from the 25
- If the kicking team chooses to 'onside'--they get the ball 4th and 10 and their own 35 yard line.
What does everyone think? Should we say farewell to kickoffs in the college game once and for all?
November 18th, 2018 at 4:17 PM ^
No.
If you're gonna go there, why not just propose to make NCAA Overtime rules the entire game?
November 18th, 2018 at 4:29 PM ^
I'd watch.
November 18th, 2018 at 5:03 PM ^
It was Gus Johnson that said it. And I said out loud "oh fuck you Gus Johnson". This is a big reason I am not a fan of his. He says things just to win the masses. Kickoffs are part of football and should always be. If you take those away, it is another step closer to just going to flags. It is a very violent sport and we all have choices as to play or not.
November 18th, 2018 at 5:25 PM ^
They've already taken them away, by the current rules.
November 18th, 2018 at 10:19 PM ^
More could be done by having different levels of targeting, suspensions, fines, etc. Keep the great football plays, but have something with teeth in there to eliminate recklessness. I don't think the play itself is what needs to be eliminated.
November 18th, 2018 at 9:18 PM ^
Yeah, you’re right. Let’s let teenagers keep seriously jeopardizing their health because we want to keep it too violent for our own enjoyment. Amurka.
November 18th, 2018 at 5:06 PM ^
That being the case, Rutgers might not be on the field 60 minutes in an entire season, and then......hey, that's not a bad idea at all....
November 18th, 2018 at 5:13 PM ^
A self-imposed Rutger?
November 18th, 2018 at 5:44 PM ^
Agreed. Not a fan of the concept... It pulls American Football ever further away from its Rugby roots, and it seems a slippery slope once you start making changes like that proposed. Where would it end?
November 18th, 2018 at 6:23 PM ^
I agree...you can sanitize the game to the point of making it so safe that it is unwatchable.
The penalty for obvious (intentional) targeting which results in injury needs to be made more severe; then people might think twice.
November 18th, 2018 at 7:40 PM ^
I agree, even texted to a friend the following:
"The IU player who laid Edwards out needs to be banned for the remainder of the season by the Big Ten!"
...immediately after seeing it happen from our seats in that end zone.
I don't think it matters whether IU becomes bowl eligible or not, the punishment of sitting out the first half next week doesn't fit the crime, especially when the victim of the hit ends up hospitalized.
November 18th, 2018 at 7:37 PM ^
Don't give the network people any ideas. They'd stretch the OT over 3 and a half hours and the rest would be commercials.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:18 PM ^
So many games have turned on kickoffs though. Just yesterday, Ohio took a return to the 50 and were able to tie before time expired.
I'm not convinced injuries are that much more prevelant on KOs than any other play, I'd like to see some quantitative data on it.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^
The only study I'm aware off put the injury rate in the NFL at 8.6 per 1000 for kickoffs. Which was by far the highest injury rate of any NFL designated play. The NFL has since tried to curtail injuries on ko's with minor rule changes but the injury rate has not changed.
mid 00's
November 18th, 2018 at 5:11 PM ^
The factors that affect the injury rate are: -11 players running at full speed crashing into another 11 (the closing speeds are the biggest danger)
-22 player free-for-all (as opposed to offense-vs-defense plays which has assignments players can expect where the opposition is going to be)
-cocentration of all players to one point at speed (not true of typical off-va-def plays)
-dynamic changing of directions causing head-on collisions at speed
To keep the kickoffs safe but also keep it competitive, they would have to address slowing down the collision speeds (easily the most injurious/concussive part. They could experiment with more or less players on the field (maybe), change engagement rules—who can engage who (similar to typical off/def plays) change HOW engagement occurs (kickoffs can be from one point BUT the kicking team non-kickers pursue from a different point, etc
There’s a million ways/methods that can still keep the spirit of the kickoff alive yet make it more safe.
November 18th, 2018 at 10:41 PM ^
The idea of modifying rather than eliminating makes sense to me. I am particularly interested in the idea of playing with how the engagement occurs. There are some unique ways to modify such as having some of the kickoff team located at various points downfield at the kick, but still say 3-4 guys back to keep the onside kick a viable option.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:34 PM ^
The Davon Tucker play from the WMU-Syracuse week 1 came to mind. This write up also mentioned a UCF player also being stretchered off the same week. Thankfully both players have continued to play this season.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:37 PM ^
Well penalties sure are more prevalent on KO's. Damn near every one. So annoying.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:18 PM ^
Would like to see them keep kick off, but work to limit its impact and return frequency. Rule:
Fair catch in field of play - ball at 30.
Kick reaches end zone - ball at 20.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:58 PM ^
Those rules basically just eliminated the kickoff. Another thing to keep in mind....if we eliminate kickoff a bunch of guys don’t get to play anymore.
November 18th, 2018 at 7:22 PM ^
A ball bouncing around th 20 yard line has to be fielded. Kicked properly, there won’t be a fare catch. The kickers will learn how to take advantage of the, run backs will still be common, and the rules will change again.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:21 PM ^
No. Eliminate punts next? I get wanting to make football safer but at some point it won't be football any longer. You can't say that the risks of playing are being hidden now and guys know what they are signing up for.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:43 PM ^
You wouldn't even recognize the original sport of football. Things change, and not having as many 18-22 year old kids with major injuries seems to be a pretty good reason to me.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:23 PM ^
November 18th, 2018 at 4:58 PM ^
If there were no kickoffs in 2018, we wouldn't have effectively prettied up the score at ND such that everyone remembers it as a close game now...
November 18th, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
S&P stats say Uofm had a 60+% chance to win that game. It was close. Don’t lie. You liar.
November 18th, 2018 at 5:27 PM ^
Michigan had the ball with a chance to tie the game in the last two minutes.
November 18th, 2018 at 5:11 PM ^
If there were no kickoffs in 97, we wouldn't have beat OSU or won the NC.
Woodson scored on a punt return, not a kickoff.
November 18th, 2018 at 5:24 PM ^
November 18th, 2018 at 5:41 PM ^
In your defense, at least five other posters seem to have misremembered it as well (based on the upvotes).
November 18th, 2018 at 6:03 PM ^
Raghib Ismail also would have destroyed us in '89...
November 18th, 2018 at 4:25 PM ^
Eliminate KOs? Might just as well make Pumpkin Pie illegal at Thanksgiving.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:32 PM ^
So you're in favor of eliminating kickoffs? Because pumpkin pie is grauss
November 18th, 2018 at 4:46 PM ^
Probably not as gross as your benoit balls.
November 18th, 2018 at 8:48 PM ^
Who are you and what did you do with FauxMo?
November 18th, 2018 at 4:26 PM ^
How about the Indiana player play football and not intentionally try to injure BE? The guy was not interested in a tackle. Suspend him for 3 games and that will stop real fast.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:29 PM ^
Yeah, stuff like that should be punished after the game even when penalized in game. When it’s clear there is intent there should be suspensions. And they should make it hurt, not just the next game, but pick the biggest game left on the schedule and suspend them for that.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:35 PM ^
I'd say suspend the player for whichever is greater, 60 minutes of game time, to be carried over until the next season if necessary, or as long as the injured targeted player is out of football. IOW, You end another player's collegiate career, yours has effectively ended as well.
November 18th, 2018 at 5:02 PM ^
Super awful idea. So you can do that exact same thing but if someone heals quickly and returns you are punished less ? No no.
November 18th, 2018 at 8:39 PM ^
He said, "whichever is greater."
In othern words, there is a minimum, and you would never personally benefit from injuring another player.
It actually makes sense.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^
Seems like a reasonable thing....that hit was flagrant, and of course we hope it all turns out okay, but a one game penalty is light, way light.
November 18th, 2018 at 6:09 PM ^
This
You can go out and try to hurt someone every play, why blame it on kickoffs. Was far from a clean hit bordering on intent to maim.
November 18th, 2018 at 6:30 PM ^
I'd say ejection from the league and maybe criminal charges. You go out there with intent to injure how is that not assault? That shit has no place in football.
November 18th, 2018 at 7:23 PM ^
Yeah, I've never thought of it this way but I don't think my mind will ever go back now. That's clearly assault.
November 20th, 2018 at 4:41 AM ^
3 games would definitely get people's attention. They could carry over to the next season if necessary. Only for egregious plays like that one.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:26 PM ^
Giving a team the ball back even if it is for a fourth and ten just because they want an onside is just dumb. How often do onsides actually work?
November 18th, 2018 at 4:29 PM ^
About 10% of the time. I am guessing a 4th and 10 would be equally unlikely. And the prospect of giving the ball up at the 35 would prevent people from doing so
November 18th, 2018 at 4:31 PM ^
Yeah it would stop the surprise onsides but not the ones where the only chance to win the game at the end is to get the ball back. Just seems so counter-intuitive to the whole game to just give a team a chance with the ball just cause they ask for it..
November 18th, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^
That was a blatant dirty hit that could happen anywhere. It had nothing to do with the kickoff.
November 18th, 2018 at 4:31 PM ^
Kickoffs allowed the last 5 to 8 minutes of the game only. Might give a team a chance to comeback with a big return.
Keep onside kicks. I can't recall an injury on an onside kick. They're not traveling very far or very fast.