NCAA begins the elimination of kickoffs

[QuantumMechanic]

"The NCAA will now consider any fair catch inside the 25-yard line on a kickoff to be the same as a touchback. Clearest sign yet that the kickoff is going away in the game of football."

 

[tasmlab]

Well, we still get to watch a guy catch a ball in between sets of commercial breaks. Exciting!

 

[slam]

I wonder why the NFL hasn't tried this change first: Have all players on the coverage team be still at the time of the kickoff except for the kicker. It'd shave off some of the speed on the initial contacts and incentivize kicking it through the end zone.

 

[Deus Irae]

More stupidity by the rule makers. What joy!

 

[Kontradiction]

Dumb.

 

[AQPE]

Window dressing

 

[maust]

 

[Fixit]

Soooo, if they don't fair catch it and get tackled inside the 25 is it a safety?

 

[TB_Helmet]

Dumb question...do more players get hurt on average on kickoffs than on any other given play?

 

[primetime]

Dumb question...do more players get hurt on average on kickoffs than on any other given play?

Yes.

I have no real problem with getting rid of the kickoff (nor do I feel strongly about leaving it in, the only way to make football safe is to ban it altogether), but all these half-measures are stupid. They won't cut out the kickoff altogether because they want to artificially extend the game so they can run more advertisements.

 

[ausbacker]

Well, at least the Celtics are going to be good for the foreseeable future.

 

[Bradyking12]

Well, at least the Celtics are going to be good for the foreseeable future.

Yea sucks that Hayward and Irving are hurt, gotta wait till next year to enjoy

 

[Gator Mike]

The new Spring Football league isn't going to have kickoffs, either.

Once a team scores, they'll have a choice. They can either let the other team have the ball 1st-and-10 on the opposing team's 25-yard line, or they can keep the ball, but will be faced with a 4th-and-10 on their own 35-yard line.

I kinda like that idea. Kickoffs suck.

 

[Joey007]

“This signals the end of football as we know it. Fire and fury will fall from the sky, and the sport will meet its impending doom as fans flock away in the masses for more morally wholesome actuvities such as virtual e-sports, which hold just the same entertainment value without getting their hands dirty in such a Neanderthal sport such as football.” -inevitable Patsfans poster

 

[Gwedd]

I can see this rule enforced in High School football, but college? Jeebus what a dumb idea. Seems more like someone is afraid of lawyers than of injuries.

At what point do the fans and players in college football start to walk away for other interests? Seems to me the tipping point gets closer each year, and the NCAA Nancy-Boyz in the rules committee are gonna end up killing the golden goose of college football.

Be interesting to see if they change their tune once the money starts drying up.

 

[1960Pats]

I can see this rule enforced in High School football, but college? Jeebus what a dumb idea. Seems more like someone is afraid of lawyers than of injuries.

At what point do the fans and players in college football start to walk away for other interests? Seems to me the tipping point gets closer each year, and the NCAA Nancy-Boyz in the rules committee are gonna end up killing the golden goose of college football.

Be interesting to see if they change their tune once the money starts drying up.

Colleges get their fans for life and new ones come in each and every year. Once a _____ always a_____.

I think the NCAA is heading in the right direction but aren't taking it far enough. Team A wins the toss and starts at their 20. If they're stopped Team B get's the ball 50 yards from the last yard line that A reached. If that 50 yards reaches the end zone then the ball comes out to the 20. And on and on it goes. That should be fun to watch.

 

[mitsudriver]

Colleges get their fans for life and new ones come in each and every year. Once a _____ always a_____.

I think the NCAA is heading in the right direction but aren't taking it far enough. Team A wins the toss and starts at their 20. If they're stopped Team B get's the ball 50 yards from the last yard line that A reached. If that 50 yards reaches the end zone then the ball comes out to the 20. And on and on it goes. That should be fun to watch.

Thing is, as the game gets further and further from the game of football those of us that enjoy football are going to find something else to put our money and time into. Maybe the new crop of fans will be enough but they seem almost too plugged in to care about sports in general.

 

[1960Pats]

Thing is, as the game gets further and further from the game of football those of us that enjoy football are going to find something else to put our money and time into. Maybe the new crop of fans will be enough but they seem almost too plugged in to care about sports in general.

I was a MLB fan for most of my life and dumped them many moons ago (30 years or so) and I haven't missed it at all. The same thing will happen when Brady leaves and I dump the NYFL.

 

[StockingAnarchyNumber12]

It just isnt thd same no more!

 

[Batman]

If they want to eliminate kick returns incentivise kicking the ball out of the endzone. If the team A kicks off and the ball goes out the endzone place it at the 15 or 20, if team B takes a knee in the endzone place it at the 25, if the ball doesn’t make the endzone and team B fair catches it place it 25 yards from that spot or they can try and return it.

Doing his you likely see more guys back to cover a ball that bounces and then gout out of bounds. The kicking team will want to kick a touchback. I bet BB doesn’t have ghost kicking them short and just take out the end zone.

There is a competition element to it. Moving where the ball is spotted when no play happens doesn’t really change the game of football. We already have two spots for touchbacks. You can still return the ball if you like from time to time an athlete is just going to back himself.