Rules: Touchback to 25 yard line? Who is in favor?

[Calhoun44]

The only rule I like is the one Kansas put forward whether if the offence is on its own 10 and has a penalty its half distance to the goal but the new proposal would be to add the lost yards from the penalty to the first down marker so it would become 1st and 15 from the 5.

I have been talking about this for years and never understood why this hasn't been a rule forever. It sucks that the offense has such a huge advantage of not having to worry about a penalty in that situation. I am glad to hear someone is proposing this.

 

[The Boston Patriot]

No return is ever going to e made. The odds against improving the field position beyond the 25 yard line on a kickoff is infinitesimally small. The bnone-headed player that attempts it will be benched in a heartbeat.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I'm torn.

On the one hand, giving TB five fewer yards to move the ball an average of three or four times a game and around 50 or 60 times a season is to the Pats advantage.

On the other hand, we have a K who regularly puts the ball deep into or out of the end zone, so why give the other guys those five yards?

Bottom line? Leave the rule as it is.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

The only rule I like is the one Kansas put forward whether if the offence is on its own 10 and has a penalty its half distance to the goal but the new proposal would be to add the lost yards from the penalty to the first down marker so it would become 1st and 15 from the 5.

If you're on your own 10 and get penalized half the distance to the goal on what would have been a 10 yard penalty, isn't it already 1st and 15 from the 5? Do you mean it should be 1st and 20 from the 5? If so, that's a great idea. The only wrinkle would be moving the chains, but I'm sure they could work out how to do that.

 

[The Boston Patriot]

A thought that just ran through my mind (a rare occurrence). Would you think that innovative coaches will now coach kickers to put the ball on the five yard line or so to encourage returns? I think that unintentional consequences are going to result in more returns than the NFL morons think. If I were a coach and had to give an opposing team that field position bu default I would be coaching up special teams to start dealing with this.

 

[Big Bucks]

If you're on your own 10 and get penalized half the distance to the goal on what would have been a 10 yard penalty, isn't it already 1st and 15 from the 5? Do you mean it should be 1st and 20 from the 5? If so, that's a great idea. The only wrinkle would be moving the chains, but I'm sure they could work out how to do that.

I cannot quite work out if I've had a blonde moment or not. haha

Lets go with your suggestion

 

[borg]

The thought process of these NFL Rules Committee wonks is at a minimum, inconsistent. On one hand they recognized the skill/power/accuracy of place kickers has improved exponentially over the past decade and therefore adjusted the extra point placement. On the other hand, these same wonks voted to adjust kickoff position from the 30 to the 35 yard line just 5 years ago ignoring the skill/power/accuracy improvements of these same kickers. This particular "adjustment" was said to be made in order to limit returns in order to reduce injury when two opposing forces run full speed at each other. Seems reasonable….except now…..the NFL Rules wonks are trying to create incentive for kicking teams not to boom kicks through the end zones conceding 5 extra yards of field position and therefore increase the number of kick returns….counter to the 2011 "adjustment" intended on reducing collisions.
These wonks have too much free time.
With this new rule…the intention may not produce the desired consequence. Kick return teams now have even less incentive to run the ball out of the end zone knowing 5 extra yards will be gifted. Kicking teams may value the reward over risk consequences of "in play" kicks , especially at the end of games when field position takes on more meaning for desperate teams…and we may see more strategy which is never bad IMO. But……..if the intention is to boost the number of kick returns once again, why not go back to the 30 yard line pre 2011.

PS….has any data ever been revealed regarding injury rates pre and post 2011 kickoff adjustment?
All I know is……the only real purpose of kickoffs these past few years is to create million dollar commercial breaks ….but then again….isn't that the point of pro football….11 minutes of action stretched an extra 3 hours.

 

[JMC00]

It's aimed at reducing returns because they think it will reduce injuries and concussions. But teams will still risk the 5 yards to get better field position then the 25.

Better way to reduce it is move the kickoff spot up 5 yards and there will be more kicks through the end zone.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

How about a rule requiring all Baltimore Ravens head coaches to wear Pink Tutu's with pacifiers in their mouths? All in favor...

 

[The Gr8est]

A thought that just ran through my mind (a rare occurrence). Would you think that innovative coaches will now coach kickers to put the ball on the five yard line or so to encourage returns? I think that unintentional consequences are going to result in more returns than the NFL morons think. If I were a coach and had to give an opposing team that field position bu default I would be coaching up special teams to start dealing with this.

Guarantee you that BB is all over this as we speak.

 

[zimmy]

why do we need to make it even easier to score touchdowns? A bit of balance would be good

 

[convertedpatsfan]

A thought that just ran through my mind (a rare occurrence). Would you think that innovative coaches will now coach kickers to put the ball on the five yard line or so to encourage returns? I think that unintentional consequences are going to result in more returns than the NFL morons think. If I were a coach and had to give an opposing team that field position bu default I would be coaching up special teams to start dealing with this.

Initially, I agreed with this 100% and wondered why it isn't done even now. With the shorter kickoff distance, why not hang it up there and let the return team tackle the guy in the 10?

But after further consideration, I think it has to do with the value of a touchback. It prevents any scoring against you. You may be able to make some tackles within the 20 or 25-yard line, but what about the big returns? Only 7 kickoffs were returned for TDs last year, but that doesn't mean a long return didn't set up easy scoring opportunities. 12 teams had a return of 50+ yards despite the return man not scoring. Those led to points.

Those 5 extra yards work out to roughly a half expected point in field position. And I'm sure you could calculate the expected points gained by preventing some, but you'd also have to look at the value of the returns that are given up that exceed the 25-yard line too to figure out if it's worthwhile in the long run.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

If I were a fan of any of the 32, "no. "

Since Ghost is our kicker, "hell no."

On the flipside, that might actually be an advantage: we know Ghost can kick it short of the end zone if he wants to, and we know that the KO coverage team is pretty darn good at preventing long returns (hi, Matt and Nate!). It could actually be a net advantage for the Patriots.

[That said, it would also require that NE actually find a KR.]

 

[Schmo]

On the flipside, that might actually be an advantage: we know Ghost can kick it short of the end zone if he wants to, and we know that the KO coverage team is pretty darn good at preventing long returns (hi, Matt and Nate!). It could actually be a net advantage for the Patriots.

[That said, it would also require that NE actually find a KR.]

Definitely a valid thought, but I would bet that BB would still take the touchbacks. I can't remember the last time Ghost popped up a kickoff after a penalty assessed from the extra point/scoring play. He always booms it out the back of the endzone anyway.

 

[Joker]

LEAVE.THE.GAME.ALONE.

 

[Tunescribe]

It's aimed at reducing returns because they think it will reduce injuries and concussions. But teams will still risk the 5 yards to get better field position then the 25.

Better way to reduce it is move the kickoff spot up 5 yards and there will be more kicks through the end zone.

Goodell and his fellow idiots need to find a different way to deal with the concussion issue (and other injuries) than rule changes like this. If they're so hell-bent on avoiding kickoff returns they should just do away with kickoffs altogether vs. making it more of a farce than it already has become.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

I'd make it the 15 yard line. Give a team a reason to try and run it out.

 

[BTTA]

Do the opposite: move it back to the 15, unless the kick goes out of the end zone, in which case it goes to the 35.

I'd make it the 15 yard line. Give a team a reason to try and run it out.

This is precisely what I'm saying, as well, and supported by most of the posts here. Let's give the receiving team the incentive to run the ball out of the end zone, OR, take the risk that it will be driven out of the end zone, which would incur the same penalty for the kicking team as kicking it out of bounds. That would drive the focus to higher kicks that land around the goal line, rather than the current focus which is to kill the play by kicking it out of the end zone.

It would add some great drama to the game. Every time a kick looks like it it going to land in the end zone, the receiving team has to make a judgment about trajectory....will it probably go out and put us well up field, or will it die in the end zone and put us at the 15? The kick off would become fun again.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

i ******* hate this league. i so want out but can't with my baby still in it

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

This is precisely what I'm saying, as well, and supported by most of the posts here. Let's give the receiving team the incentive to run the ball out of the end zone, OR, take the risk that it will be driven out of the end zone, which would incur the same penalty for the kicking team as kicking it out of bounds. That would drive the focus to higher kicks that land around the goal line, rather than the current focus which is to kill the play by kicking it out of the end zone.

It would add some great drama to the game. Every time a kick looks like it it going to land in the end zone, the receiving team has to make a judgment about trajectory....will it probably go out and put us well up field, or will it die in the end zone and put us at the 15? The kick off would become fun again.

I like this idea, but worry that the receiving team would still be more likely to let the ball bounce.

It's mind boggling that the league is still letting a small group of people driven heavily by self interest change the rules. They desperately need to revamp the system. The committee should be responsible for coming up with general problems and requirements like "There are too many touchbacks we'd like to see an 80% increase in kick returns". From there it should be left up to analytics to come up with possible solutions and the committee picks one.

They should be able to look at the effect of starting field position and come up with spots that will ensure a return unless the receiving team is pretty certain the ball is going out. This would make kickoffs about talent and execution of all the players on the field.