New kickoff rule
We did that last year with Foug, but he's gone. It may or may not hurt us this year.
Can you fair catch a squib kick? If no, then we see more squib kicks.
then no. you can theoretically fair catch any kick in the air, even if it's a line drive.
At this point it should be the choice of the receiving team if they want to simply start at the 25 or attempt returning a kick off. If every kick can basically start at the 25, may as well treat it like the free pass in baseball, don’t even make the team kick it. If a coach really wants a chance at a big return, let em try under the old rules. Fair catch in the end zone brings it out to the 20, everything else is fair game.
See now that’s interesting. Gives the opposing team a chance to remove any sort of strategy from the other team when it comes to things like squibs forcing a return or a surprise onside kick. Would also reinforce the safety aspect behind the rule.
Could also easily make a rule that doesn’t allow that in the last 5 min of a game, or give the other team one overrule if they really need to do an onside kick with like 8min left of something.
Why?
1. There is always a chance the receiving team's up-men will be hit by the ball, otherwise touch the ball or mishandle it, allowing for a recovery.
2. Screws up most efforts to set up a return.
3. Rather than booming, high arching kicks, kickers will practice line drives or hot bouncers. I'm sure they can figure this out with some practice. Might need a holder.
This rule is a giant middle finger to Urban Meyer.
DUUUUUMMMMMMBBBBBB
This will have a minimal effect on player safety as long as the refs don't know what the hell they're looking at.
Is there a rule that a kickoff has to be from a tee? Put your punter in there. It telegraphs the kick, but punt returns are usually short, and with 10 "gunners" a chance for a miscue is fairly high. If this works, look for a rule change as soon as possible.
But, I bet it will have an impact on kickers. If the pin deep corner inside the 10, what’s the incentive to advance the ball? I get kicker interest player safety
I remember last year kickoffs were high and dropped at the goal line or inside the 5. It gave the returner hope that he could get a decent return because of position, but because the ball was so high it ended up most times with a short return inside the 25.
I don't think this rule change would affect that strategy at all.
This rule change will directly change that; it is the purpose of the change. Now instead of having to return a kickoff caught inside the ten, which is undesirable, you can just fair catch it.
Just do away with them already and save time
#collegekickers
I think this will transition where teams will spend less time and effort on the kickoff return, and more on two or three guys sure-handed guys deep, and "hands" team at the front and midfield. Kickers will be expected to pooch, or line drive, or do that one bounce on-side of varying degrees of force to try to control the distance.
In the long run, I think the rules will eventually be changed so that the only time we see kickoffs will be at the start of each half, and maybe the last few (3? 5?) minutes of each half. Otherwise, the offense will take possession at the -25. I could live with that.
April 14th, 2018 at 12:10 AM ^
Need to have kickoffs so we can have another commercial break 8 seconds after the previous commercial break.
Stupid rule change. Stop trying to coddle these football players. special teams are a huge piece of a teams identity and can win or lose games. Kickoff returns are also very exciting
It’s probably the most dangerous aspect of the game. You’ve got 11 guys running full speed for 20-30 yards before colliding with the return team. It leads to a lot of unconventional hits. I personally blew out my knee on a kickoff when someone bashed their helmet into it from the side. The question is how much value do kickoffs add relative to the safety profile? As much as I’m a football traditionalist, I can see a need for reform.
April 14th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
99% of football players disagree with you
I think there will be an increase in squib kicks that still get the ball back beyond the 25 but to a less dangerous return man w/ a greater chance of the person mishandling the squib. Once the ball touches the ground I don’t believe it can be fair caught, forcing the team to return the kick or take the bad field position
April 14th, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
Can we take a moment to realize how lame this rule is? Plus the NFL adopting targeting, smh
this is a dumb proposal. just move the kickoffs back five yards and lets see more returns.
OP, I don’t see this causing in increase in onside kicks. I really don’t see how that’s related at all. 25 yards of field position is a shit ton.