Touchbacks to the 25 and kickoffs at the 35?

[SteVo+ 3,702]

NFL considers kickoffs at 35-yard line, touchbacks to 25-yard line

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 16, 2011, 10:59 AM EDT

 

Significant changes on kickoffs are coming to the NFL in 2011 if the NFL’s Competition Committee gets its way.

 

Falcons President and Competition Committee Chairman Rich McKay revealed on a conference call with the media today that the Competition Committee is proposing a major modification of kickoffs, moving the kickoff back to the 35-yard line instead of the 30, and giving the receiving team the ball at the 25-yard line, instead of the 20, if there’s a touchback.

 

In other words, it will be easier for the kicker to boot the ball into the end zone, and there will be greater incentive for the return man to stay in the end zone instead of running it out.

 

The Competition Committee is also proposing the elimination of all forms of the wedge block, including the two-man wedge, and requiring players on the kickoff team to line up between the 30-yard line and the 35-yard line. All of these changes, the Competition Committee believes, will cut down on injuries on kickoffs.

 

“The injury rate on kickoffs remains a concern for us,†McKay said.

 

One thing that will not change is what happens after a kickoff goes out of bounds: The Competition Committee’s proposal is still for the receiving team to get the ball on the 40-yard line.

 

All Competition Committee proposals will be voted on by the owners at next week’s NFL Annual Meeting.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/16/nfl-considers-kickoffs-at-35-yard-line-touchbacks-to-25-yard-line/

 

Interesting...

Edited March 22, 2011 by SteVo

[RazorStar 4,025]

So basically they're trying to make the kickoff a formality. I don't like it. I also don't like the fact that they did not change the "going to the ground" bullshit for receivers.

[KiLaSix9+ 398]

This is unnecessary IMO. They are addressing the injury rate on kickoffs by making it more likely for players to touchback? Gay.

[rzb+ 367]

Let's just get rid of kickoffs all together. Turn it into backyard ball by starting at the 20 (now 25?) and you get four downs to score. That will cut out the punt as well. Fuck you NFL rule makers.

[seanbrock 1,684]

Let's just get rid of kickoffs all together. Turn it into backyard ball by starting at the 20 (now 25?) and you get four downs to score. That will cut out the punt as well. Fuck you NFL rule makers.

NFLSTREET FOR REALZ

[Titanswin472 29]

I also don't like the fact that they did not change the "going to the ground" bullshit for receivers.

Whats this?

[RazorStar 4,025]

Basically the thing where you need to do a football move after getting your feet in bounds and securing the ball... that's not changing.

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

Whats this?

 

Calvin Johnson rule.

[FartWaffles 1,857]

Lots of players make the team because of their return ability, and then eventually flourish into stars. (Miles Austin for example) Kickoff returns are some of the most exciting plays in a game. Please don't take away the Devin Hester and Josh Cribbs highlight reels. This will be retarded if they pass this rule.

[RANGA+ 1,210]

Fucking sad. Special teams is a huge part of the game (and one of the most exciting). Great way to make it a little less relevant fellas

[rzb+ 367]

PTI made a good point. They (the NFL) insist this change is for protecting the players.. yet they want to extend to 18 games? There's no other way to look at this other than a big piece of bullshit. Horrible decision making going on in the top floor of the NFL building.

Edited March 17, 2011 by razorback.red

[oochymp 2,393]

ok, I know the competition committee puts a lot of thought into this process, but I really don't think they've thought this through. The idea is that kicking off from the 35 will increase touchbacks, but if I'm a special teams coach, I'm going to get my kicker to work on dropping kickoffs inside the ten with the thinking that if our coverage team is starting from the 30 (there is a max of 5 feet from the line of scrimmage for coverage players) we can get to the returner before the 25, so I really don't know that touchbacks are going to be more common. I saw in an article on ESPN that the average starting position after a kickoff last year was around the 27, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see that number drop, the same article said that about 20% of kickoffs were touchbacks, in spite of the shorter field for the kicking team, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see that drop due to the devaluing of the touchback.

 

EDIT: Also, I really hope the touchback rule only applies to kickoffs, because a touchback on a punt coming out to the 25 would be absolute crap

Edited March 17, 2011 by oochymp

[Krawnka 282]

IMO puts more pressure on the kickers/punters to not kick touchbacks. Where does it put the ball if the kickoff goes out of bounds?

 

Punters are going to have to get alot better at coffin corners, and more squib kickoffs for the kickers.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Krawnka

[oochymp 2,393]

IMO puts more pressure on the kickers/punters to not kick touchbacks. Where does it put the ball if the kickoff goes out of bounds?

 

Punters are going to have to get alot better at coffin corners, and more squib kickoffs for the kickers.

they have said that a kickoff out of bounds will still go to the 40, and I don't think the new touchback rule will apply to punts, unless the NFL actually has gone bat-shit crazy, which I'm not entirely willing to rule out at this time

 

EDIT: I just re-read the ESPN article about the proposed changes (here) and found this nugget: There would be no changes for touchbacks on any other plays, with the ball coming out to the 20.

Edited March 17, 2011 by oochymp

[BC 331]

Be shocked if they actually do this. Quit changin the game.

[Superbowlbuc 26]

May as well just hand the other team the ball at the 25 and forget the kickoff. Horrible rule that makes skilled kickoff returners less valuable and removes more excitement from the game for the sake of overcautiousness.

 

Eventually, they're gonna have to stop calling it football.

[Phenomenal TJ 28]

So, essentially return men are now unnecessary?

[Wacko4Flacco61 355]

I Got A Better Idea. Kickoffs at 35 Yard line and Keep touchbacks at 20. Thats the way it was in the Old days. But Touchbacks on an Interception then you get ball on 25.

Edited March 19, 2011 by Wacko4Flacco61

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

Goodbye Raiders...

[Phenomenal TJ 28]

I asked Antonio Brown (Steelers rookie WR) on Twitter what he thought about the potential rule change.

 

After asking me to explain it to him...

 

He said there'd be more return TD's.

 

Edited March 19, 2011 by Phenomenal TJ

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

Special Teams coaches would probably just teach their kickers to keep it out of the endzone to possibly save some yardage.

[Wacko4Flacco61 355]

I asked Antonio Brown (Steelers rookie WR) on Twitter what he thought about the potential rule change.

 

After asking me to explain it to him...

 

He said there'd be more return TD's.

 

 

Cute Puppy

[oochymp 2,393]

this change will also put teams in better position after onside kicks, which could be a huge game changer

[FartWaffles 1,857]

The NFL has approved the Competition Committee's proposal to move kickoffs from the 30- to the 35-yard line.

 

Two-man wedges are still allowed, but touchbacks will soar across the league. The idea is to improve player safety. Touchbacks will still be returned to the 20-yard line in the "modified" proposal. The Committee initially recommended to move them up to the 25-yard line and disallow wedges altogether. Regardless, players like Devin Hester and Leon Washington now have less value.

 

Source: Profootballtalk on NBC Sports

 

Edited March 22, 2011 by FartWaffles

[WindyCitySports 407]

I don't see a point in this. Kick-off returns add excitement to the game, and there is absolutely no good reason to take them away. They give teams a chance to get out to an early lead, or to win the game in the last second. Bad move.