Source: The NFL’s hybrid kickoff model has passed.
Link:https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1772612300785995802
Here is what it will look like. And will be a lot more fun.
Link:https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1772612546467369005
I like the rule change. This will increase the amount of kickoffs returned, which should lead to more action. Also incentivizes kickers to be accurate instead of just kicking the ball as hard as they can on kickoff.
I do wish that they had changed the onside kick rules though. I think the XFL’s 4th and 15 rule is solid since its actual football instead of people just scrambling to recover a fumble.
Gotta disagree on the onside kick part. I think giving the offense a down is just going to end up farming under thrown DPI, holding, any play that has a decent chance to generate an automatic 1st down for the offense.
I’m of the opinion that 1) the NFL should be focused on making the game consistent at all levels and should mirror the youth and college game as close as possible 2) Should keep rules simple and not something that needs 3 pages to explain, contingencies for onside kicks, etc 3) Should resemble a football play, I’m open to let this play grow on me, but it really just seems like an off the wall compromise to me
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The other levels could mirror the NFL, too. If anything, the NFL might be a better place to level-set, since the players have a voice, even if the NFLPA is kind off weak sauce. In general, though, I kind of like that the rules themselves can vary between levels of competition. Makes things interesting, and particularly at the high school level allows for things to be adjusted based on varying talent and experience levels.
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Sorry. That ship sailed decades ago. Gridiron football is the EU Administrative Law of sports rulebooks.
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This worked pretty well in the XFL. It ends up looking kinda like a punt return, except the gunners don’t leave immediately. Fewer players with a full head of steam is a bit safer.
Honestly though, I think we’re on a slow trend of slowly removing kicking from the game altogether. Punters have roughly the range of quarterbacks and could be replaced with a kind of hybrid fourth down where incompletions are turned over where the ball lands; kickoffs are already fading into the west like Elves; and placekicking is so far removed from the normal football skillsets that it’s effectively just a way to randomize the reward of points for partially successful play in the other phases. Do some offseason alt-league experimenting, and I bet you could replace the goalposts with some sort of throwing target and get roughly the same scoring.
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It’s funny I can’t really close my eyes and picture how everyone is setup during a kickoff it’s usually such a non-event these days. Is the difference here that the receiving line is closer than previously?
Looks like the main difference is that since everyone is lining up essentially in the middle of the field, and can’t move until the ball is caught, people aren’t running full speed into each other. This article has a video linked to it:
This “landing zone” is also a big, big deal. Kickers will be incentivized to get the ball into that zone. And penalties only move where the ball is kicked, not the zones, so penalties that are assessed on the kickoff will have more of an impact.
Oh wow yeah that does makes a big difference, should hopefully result in some more interesting special teams plays.
Cool to see that video. I couldn’t really picture it in my head.
Are kickoffs still a “live” ball, or a “dead” ball like punts?
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