Changes to the kicking rule.

[Ross12]

I hope this is a plus for Marcus Jones.

I was about to post the same, I think Marcus Jones will be a big beneficiary. He will get a running start coming under the ball before any kicking team players will even start moving. Will be hard to catch him. By the time they do, he'll be way up field. Teams may get scared of the return and just go for the touchback and give it to them at the 35 for free.

It's a bad year to lose Slater, as I think he would've been a good guy to have around to help come up with ways to scheme coverages up. Maybe he can still help out in a consulting capacity.

 

[Sicilian]

I was about to post the same, I think Marcus Jones will be a big beneficiary. He will get a running start coming under the ball before any kicking team players will even start moving. Will be hard to catch him. By the time they do, he'll be way up field. Teams may get scared of the return and just go for the touchback and give it to them at the 35 for free.

It's a bad year to lose Slater, as I think he would've been a good guy to have around to help come up with ways to scheme coverages up. Maybe he can still help out in a consulting capacity.

I think it will shift the type of KR you want to be closer to a PR skillset, so guys like Marcus will have a leg up. I do think things will settle though. We'll see some higher average starting field position for the first half of the season while these rules are figured out and some guys natural athletic ability take over. It will be a bit chaotic. But as coaches get some film and start actually developing schemes they can drill into guys, things will stabilize. Starting field position will still probably be a bit higher, but it won't be a huge drastic shift.

Who knows though, I'm just guessing.

 

[Kdo5]

I’m interested. Kickoff is a useless play 90% of the time. Teams are still going to send it sailing through the end zone most of the time though.

 

[Gator Mike]

FWIW...

 

[Ross12]

I think it will shift the type of KR you want to be closer to a PR skillset, so guys like Marcus will have a leg up. I do think things will settle though. We'll see some higher average starting field position for the first half of the season while these rules are figured out and some guys natural athletic ability take over. It will be a bit chaotic. But as coaches get some film and start actually developing schemes they can drill into guys, things will stabilize. Starting field position will still probably be a bit higher, but it won't be a huge drastic shift.

Who knows though, I'm just guessing.

I agree. I think a guy like Reagor will be good, too - really, any guy who has high top-end speed and can hit that speed fairly quickly. Even if they aren't taking it to the house all the time, just being able to field the ball and have, at minimum, 20 yards between you and the guys attempting to tackle you to pick up speed will be a boon to starting field position. Probably a lot of starts at the 30+.

 

[turkeyneck]

Officiating nightmare. This is not like watching the line for pre-snap movement where both the linemen and the ball are in the same field of view. How do you watch both the ball's landing somewhere near the goal line and the players well upfield at the same time?

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Some interesting stuff here from the XFL guys that designed this - it's more like a running play than anything else:

 

[Triumph]

Advantage KO return team.

The Kick team cannot move until the ball is caught.

 

[Grogan14]

Glad we kept Reagor.
Thornton should be out there also.

 

[Sicilian]

Some interesting stuff here from the XFL guys that designed this - it's more like a running play than anything else:

If this is true, this could be a good role for Gibson.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

If this is true, this could be a good role for Gibson.

As I understand it you need 2 returners back. Arguably it will be both RBs.
Players like Mapu and Dugger will also be important on both sides of the play.

 

[FortressX]

So if the team that scores a touchdown opts for the traditional one-point try, what’s the downside to sending players aggressively after the kicker, with a directive to go all out for the block and not worry about crashing into him? The penalty, whether five yards for running into the kicker or 15 for roughing the kicker, will mean nothing to the ensuing kickoff.

It could be open season on kickers during extra points

The new kickoff's penalty enforcement procedure will invite all-out efforts to block the PAT.

www.nbcsports.com

 

[TheRainMaker]

The NFL hates defense.

 

[0818NePa]

I have a feeling the average points per game is going to be 50 or 60 next season

This is what I fear .... too much favorable startig position for O ...

 

[TinhWoodhead]

what about FG’s? i think they should move up 5yds

 

[1960Pats]

I have a feeling the average points per game is going to be 50 or 60 next season

I was wondering who would want to make such a drastic change and I was going to look into who's on the committee. Then I realized that the NYFL owners also own gambling sites and that they could be behind the change.

 

[moosekill]

I was wondering who would want to make such a drastic change and I was going to look into who's on the committee. Then I realized that the NYFL owners also own gambling sites and that they could be behind the change.

They want to change it because they want to improve the game and the current system sucked.. The original system created huge collisions and led to large numbers of injuries. All the rule changes led to the teams kicking the ball
Out of the end zone, boring as hell, or trying to have it land between the 1-10 which still led to the injuries. This should make it exciting and minimize the injuries.

 

[1960Pats]

They want to change it because they want to improve the game and the current system sucked.. The original system created huge collisions and led to large numbers of injuries. All the rule changes led to the teams kicking the ball
Out of the end zone, boring as hell, or trying to have it land between the 1-10 which still led to the injuries. This should make it exciting and minimize the injuries.

Yes, anything is better than a boring non-return.

At first glance it looks like a great returner could be more impactful than ever. We'll see.

 

[moosekill]

Yes, anything is better than a boring non-return.

At first glance it looks like a great returner could be more impactful than ever. We'll see.

Yes I agree, it will be interesting to see how long it takes teams to adjust to the new rules.

 

[Jim Beankie]

Officiating nightmare. This is not like watching the line for pre-snap movement where both the linemen and the ball are in the same field of view. How do you watch both the ball's landing somewhere near the goal line and the players well upfield at the same time?

This is not new in sports. In baseball we have the fly out with a runner tagging from 3rd base. The Refs (guessing on each sideline) just need to stand at the 45/50.