CFB rule change to essentially eliminate onside kicks
After a kickoff hits the ground — specifically on a one-hop onside kick — the receiving team gets an opportunity to fair catch that ball. "A lot of our coaches," Shaw said, "have said that will almost take that one-hop (onside) kick out of the game."
So while the dribble up the middle could potentially still work, all a team will need to do is make sure that they have one guy in the middle watching to wave for a fair catch if they one-hop it, and to cover it up the middle if they dribble it.
There are some other big rule changes there too, but that is probably the biggest.
Good point Justin. I guess my feeling about the hits of the future is that they won't be the dramatic head shots we saw in the 90's and early aughts. I used ot love those. I didn't know at the time how dangerous they were to the players.
I suppose I should clarify myself. In lacrosse in the 80's and 90's you could hit with your head (spear) in most pockets of the country. I played in Upstate NY and it was encouraged. When I got to college (circa 2000) I continued the habit but quickly found out that it was a penalty down south (VA, NC), It is now a penalty on all levels in all regions. I can tell you with the most confidence that the hitting in lacrosse was much more violent back then compared to wha you see now today, That's where I'm basing my assumption that football's greatest hits are in the past.
Good point Justin. I guess I had forgotten that we will probably evolve into jungle cats in 60 years.
I also have trouble remembering.
TURRIBLE! ::Charles Barkley Voice::
injury rates with onside kicks - came up with nada on a Google search. Does anyone have a link to real data? Not that it matters much as the rule is changed, but just curious.
I'm wondering when the NCAA will really take player safety to the next level by outlawing tackling and having everyone play inside their own zorb ball
I'd think all that will happen is that kickers will learn to kick onside kicks differently (MOAR BOUNCING!)
I've often wondered if we'd have a better game if we eliminated punts and field goals entirely. They're a way to avoid risk and actually pretty dull most of the time. It's a way to watch coaches play chess, nothing else.
You can eliminate kickoffs, just start on the 35. If you score in the fourth quarter and you're behind, you get the ball again.
Let's just eliminate some of the most exciting parts about football.
Punts and field goals are exciting? You have maybe one long return a game, as oppsed to the many fourth down plays you'd have without the punts.
No onside kicks is okay, I guess, for safety. But that neo-halo rule has all kinds of potential for awful. Stay tuned for big zebra chokes.