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 7:21 PM ^
They should remove the crown of the helmet. Make it a ring so if someone wants to lead with the top of their head they only do it once.
November 18th, 2018 at 7:42 PM ^
My biggest complaint about the new kickoff rule is that it's fixing what it's trying to fix. The 10 guys are still getting hit on the play, even on a fair catch.
I've been against getting rid of kickoffs, but it keeps happening and I think it will change one day. I believe that punt returns are much safer, so I'd be curious if they switched to punts only where the return team can't have more than 1 guy back to receive the ball. Then teams can onside still and it doesn't change the game a whole lot.
November 18th, 2018 at 8:08 PM ^
No way. Kickoffs have strategy. Notice how hardly any are kicked into the end zone now.
November 18th, 2018 at 8:23 PM ^
No. That hit on Edwards had NOTHING to do with a kickoff. It was nothing more than a literal head hunting expedition. Remove that from the game...
November 18th, 2018 at 9:09 PM ^
Totally against eliminating the kickoff return. What happened to Edwards was a pure dirty play by an overly-aggressive player. Disincentivise that kind of play with a stronger targeting penalty for obviously egregious incidents - none of this "oh you lose a game", no - make it three on an obvious one with an increasing scale of punishment. That should help push the coaches to truly enforce to their players that they need to keep their wits about them.
There is already a rule in place that can make returns irrelevant. It is up to teams and players to employ it and some do, some don't. By eliminating the return you also eliminate the quick start, the rapid response score, the ability for a team to get itself into position to potentially win a game with a tight game clock. That will change the course of some games completely.
So what to do? Maybe adjust the equipment that players wear on the kickoff return. Maybe go with what the pros do where the kicking team can't get a running start. There is an answer beyond just "no more kickoff returns".
Oh and for onside kicks, those rarely have significant injury - leave those be, but use the same adjustments.
November 18th, 2018 at 10:30 PM ^
No. I wouldn’t watch football without kickoffs. Otherwise I would miss the extra commercial between the kickoff and the first play of the drive and wouldn’t know what kind of car to drive or soda to drink.
November 19th, 2018 at 1:39 AM ^
I don't think kickoffs are more dangerous than the average pass play. This is more of a Headhunter vs Brothers is Sport issue, not unique to that one play.
November 19th, 2018 at 5:24 AM ^
Keep kickoffs. Take away the fair catch option and move the line back 5 yards to encourage more returns.
November 19th, 2018 at 5:43 AM ^
Snowflakes are ruining football. How long before we eliminate tackling and just go full flag football.
November 19th, 2018 at 7:37 AM ^
Your onside kick rule would be bullshit. It's way harder to recover an onside kick than it is to convert on 4th and 10