New NFL kickoff rules

[LarryISU]

Weird kickoff in KC game. Ball hit in end zone, bounced back to 1 yard line. Player knelt in end zone, reached out and picked up the ball from the 1. Ruled a safety.

Just seemed odd, the ball did not even land in the "landing zone." Yet the kicking team got 2 points.

 

[3TrueFans]

Weird kickoff in KC game. Ball hit in end zone, bounced back to 1 yard line. Player knelt in end zone, reached out and picked up the ball from the 1. Ruled a safety.

Just seemed odd, the ball did not even land in the "landing zone." Yet the kicking team got 2 points.

At first glance that makes sense to me, the ball isn't in the end zone so it can't be a touchback, and it's not like a punt where it's a touchback as soon as it enters the endzone. I'm pretty confident that would have been a safety under the old rules too?

Edit: I misread and thought it landed outside the endzone, I guess if it landed in the endzone last year it was a touchback (I think?), so maybe not as clear cut.

 

[jdoggivjc]

It’s the same as the 35 yard extra point. Give it a couple years and it’ll be normal. I’d rather see this experiment than endless touchbacks.

I still hate the 35-yd XP and the removal of the fake XP attempt. Just because I've gotten used to it doesn't mean I hate it any less.

Same with the new kickoff. I'll get used to it - but I won't stop hating the fact that I won't get to see something like Pat McAfee's surprise onside kick ever again. Now, if they replaced the onside kick with a 4th and 15 play for possession I'd shut up about it because that adds a different kind of excitement.

 

[HFCS]

Weird kickoff in KC game. Ball hit in end zone, bounced back to 1 yard line. Player knelt in end zone, reached out and picked up the ball from the 1. Ruled a safety.

Just seemed odd, the ball did not even land in the "landing zone." Yet the kicking team got 2 points.

That could have happened with old rules too though right?

 

[1SEIACLONE]

The whole thing is just kind of weird to actually see, the league wants to stop the collisions of players getting a full head of steam before hitting each other and too many kicks are landing in the back of the end zone and this is what they came up with? At least we actually do get to see a return now and then.

 

[Clonehomer]

Weird kickoff in KC game. Ball hit in end zone, bounced back to 1 yard line. Player knelt in end zone, reached out and picked up the ball from the 1. Ruled a safety.

Just seemed odd, the ball did not even land in the "landing zone." Yet the kicking team got 2 points.

I would have thought the ball would have been possessed outside the end zone with his knee down. That would be down at the 1, right? As long as a portion of the ball is outside the end zone it’s not a safety.

 

[ricochet]

I would have thought the ball would have been possessed outside the end zone with his knee down. That would be down at the 1, right? As long as a portion of the ball is outside the end zone it’s not a safety.

In this case it is more like an out of bounds play and not a scoring play. It is entirely based on where the player is - ball position doesn't matter. I've only seen it a few times but with the old kickoff rules the returner could have a foot out of bounds on the sideline, reach onto the field of play, grab the ball, and it was considered a kick out of bounds.

 

[LarryISU]

I would have thought the ball would have been possessed outside the end zone with his knee down. That would be down at the 1, right? As long as a portion of the ball is outside the end zone it’s not a safety.

I haven't found any explanation of the new kickoff that addresses what happened yesterday. The ball landed in the end zone, then bounced backwards into the landing zone. The kicker should not get the benefit of the ball bouncing back into the landing zone when his goal is to land the ball in the landing zone.

 

[3TrueFans]

I haven't found any explanation of the new kickoff that addresses what happened yesterday. The ball landed in the end zone, then bounced backwards into the landing zone. The kicker should not get the benefit of the ball bouncing back into the landing zone when his goal is to land the ball in the landing zone.

Balls that land in the end zone aren’t a touchback anymore, which is how it used to be pretty sure.

 

[LarryISU]

Balls that land in the end zone aren’t a touchback anymore, which is how it used to be pretty sure.

I agree, a ball landing in the endzone is a live ball and can be returned or downed. If downed, the ball goes out to the 30 as a sort of punishment for overkicking the Landing Zone. I don't understand why they ruled a safety. If it's a live ball, he got on his knee, then reached out and grabbed the ball which was laying on the 1 yard line. To me, he downed it at the 1. Hand on ball, knee on ground.

 

[madguy30]

The whole thing is just kind of weird to actually see, the league wants to stop the collisions of players getting a full head of steam before hitting each other and too many kicks are landing in the back of the end zone and this is what they came up with? At least we actually do get to see a return now and then.

Borrowed from the XFL.

It must have been fairly successful there to adopt it for the big time.

 

[isufbcurt]

DUMB

I'm glad I got to enjoy playing football before it came to this.

 

[3TrueFans]

I agree, a ball landing in the endzone is a live ball and can be returned or downed. If downed, the ball goes out to the 30 as a sort of punishment for overkicking the Landing Zone. I don't understand why they ruled a safety. If it's a live ball, he got on his knee, then reached out and grabbed the ball which was laying on the 1 yard line. To me, he downed it at the 1. Hand on ball, knee on ground.

There’s a good article here that kind of explains it. https://www.footballzebras.com/2024...-ruled-a-safety-but-is-that-the-correct-call/

 

[3TrueFans]

DUMB

I'm glad I got to enjoy playing football before it came to this.

You played ***** football, you had fancy helmets with face masks and pads.

 

[isufbcurt]

You played ***** football, you had fancy helmets with face masks and pads.

Funny true story. In high school we played our normal high school football games on Friday nights then on Saturday afternoons we had formed a town full tackle no pads or helmet league with 4 teams.