NFL Votes to Change Rules for Kickoffs

[jdoggivjc]

NFL votes to change rules for kickoffs, replay - ESPN

They might as well just eliminate the kickoff altogether and have each possession start at the 20 yard line...

 

[Cyballz]

not a surprise the teams wanted this. Less returns = less injuries and less guys like Cribbs and Hester that command a big salary for mostly returning kicks.

 

[Gorm]

NFL votes to change rules for kickoffs, replay - ESPN

As if they didn't have other things to fix that were more important.

 

[RING4CY]

not a surprise the teams wanted this. Less returns = less injuries and less guys like Cribbs and Hester that command a big salary for mostly returning kicks.

Hester is mainly a punt returner anyways.

 

[hawkeyeh8r]

**** you goddell. he's a power hungry mother****er. i cant wait to see him finally leave, he has ruined the game in more ways than one. first having the pro bowl before the super bowl and now kicking off from the 35. this must be there way of trying to justify adding 2 extra regular season games

 

[Mr Janny]

**** you goddell. he's a power hungry mother****er. i cant wait to see him finally leave, he has ruined the game in more ways than one. first having the pro bowl before the super bowl and now kicking off from the 35. this must be there way of trying to justify adding 2 extra regular season games

I don't like Goodell any more than the next guy, but you can't blame him for something that wasn't his decision. This had to be approved by the owners. Goodell couldn't just decree that these rule changes were going to happen, and I haven't seen any evidence that these kickoff changes were even his idea. The team owners own the game. They can make whatever rule changes they want.

What I do think is funny is that it hasn't been all hat long since kickoffs were on the 35. I think the rule change to put them at the 30 came in the late 80's or early 90's.

 

[RING4CY]

I don't like Goodell any more than the next guy, but you can't blame him for something that wasn't his decision. This had to be approved by the owners. Goodell couldn't just decree that these rule changes were going to happen, and I haven't seen any evidence that these kickoff changes were even his idea. The team owners own the game. They can make whatever rule changes they want.

What I do think is funny is that it hasn't been all hat long since kickoffs were on the 35. I think the rule change to put them at the 30 came in the late 80's or early 90's.

1994. The same year the 2-point conversion was introduced.

 

[Mr Janny]

1994. The same year the 2-point conversion was introduced.

There you go, it hasn't been that long. Thanks.

 

[RING4CY]

There you go, it hasn't been that long. Thanks.

I'm a walking NFL encyclopedia. :smile:

 

[Mr Janny]

I'm a walking NFL encyclopedia. :smile:

Not going to argue with that. My point is that hawkeyeh8r's anger toward goodell is misplaced, in this instance. And the notion, that it is some kind of attempt to secure an 18 game season doesn't have a lot of merit either.

And while Billy Cundiff had about a 50% touchback percentage, the rest of the league averaged about 15%, so it's not like everyone was kicking it out of the park. Teams averaged less than 1 touchback per game in 2010. So, yeah five extra yards is going net some more touchbacks. Guys like Billy Cundiff are going to have gaudy stats as a result, but it's not like every kickoff is going to be sailing out of the endzone.

 

[Mr Janny]

Here's another good stat. The average kickoff last season landed at the 6.5-yard line. Again, I'm not saying I'm in favor of the new rule change, I just don't think it's going to result in a statistically huge increase in the number of touchbacks.

 

[CYdTracked]

They discussed this on Mike & Mike this morning and one of the things brought up was some teams might start using "mortar kicks" which are high short kickoffs that will fall shy of the goal line. Those types of kicks could be even more dangerous because there will be more hang time with a shorter field for the gunners to get down and hit the return man and teams would have to field those kicks else risk the kickoff team recovering it before it would become a touch back.

Don't like this rule change at all and I'm sure the elite kickoff return guys aren't happy with it either.

 

[jbhtexas]

They discussed this on Mike & Mike this morning and one of the things brought up was some teams might start using "mortar kicks" which are high short kickoffs that will fall shy of the goal line. Those types of kicks could be even more dangerous because there will be more hang time with a shorter field for the gunners to get down and hit the return man and teams would have to field those kicks else risk the kickoff team recovering it before it would become a touch back.

I'm not so sure I buy this. I don't recall these "mortar kicks" being used back before the kickoff was moved to the 30 in 1994. If there was some advantage to this, wouldn't kickers have been doing this pre-1994 instead of just booting the ball into the endzone?

Don't like this rule change at all and I'm sure the elite kickoff return guys aren't happy with it either.

The need for their position was eliminated/diminished by corporate big-wigs...welcome to the world the rest of us live in...

 

[jdoggivjc]

I'm not so sure I buy this. I don't recall these "mortar kicks" being used back before the kickoff was moved to the 30 in 1994. If there was some advantage to this, wouldn't kickers have been doing this pre-1994 instead of just booting the ball into the endzone?

(note- I have the argument in my head, I may botch it putting it down in words)

Kickers also didn't have "the leg" that back then that a lot of kickers have today. The whole reason why the kickoff was moved back to the 30 yard line in 1994 was because there were too many touchbacks. If they were to "mortar" a kick back then, the returner would likely field the ball at the 5-10 yard line and easily get past the 20 - statistical advantage to kick a line drive and put it into/through the end zone. Move the ball back 5 yards - if you kick a line drive kick into the end zone your coverage has no chance to get down the field, so even a kick that goes 5 yards deep into the end zone has a chance to be returned to the 25-30.

With stronger legs, a kicker can "mortar" a kick and get it to fall between the 5 yard line and the goal line - much harder to advance it past the 20 yard line, especially since the wedge has been outlawed.

 

[besserheimerphat]

The kickoff is kind of a weird concept in sports. What other sport gives a team the opportunity to score while playing neither offense or defense? It's like giving a baseball team 3 pitches to get a guy on base before starting to count outs. Or giving a basketball team a free shot from half court after each basket. I couldn't care less if they just eliminated the kickoff all together and gave them the ball on the 20.