On the lighter side: NFL's new hybrid kick off rule for next season.

[Rumblefish]

Setup: Under the new alignment, the kicker will line up alone on his half of the field and will kick from the traditional spot, at the 35-yard line. The other 21 players will line up at the opposite end of the field. The 10 other players on the kicking team will begin at the receiving team’s 40-yard line, separated initially by only five yards from blockers on the receiving team. At least nine of the 11 players on the receiving team will line up either at their 35-yard line or within five yards of it, in what’s called the “setup zone.” At least seven of those players must be on the 35-yard line. The receiving team is allowed as many as two returners.

Requirements: The kick must land between the goal line and the 20-yard line. To encourage returns, kicks into the end zone will be punished severely; the ball will be spotted at the 30-yard line. Kicks that hit in the landing zone, roll into the end zone and are downed there will be spotted at the 20-yard line. Kicks short of the landing zone will be spotted, like kicks out of bounds, at the 40-yard line. A kick that falls in the landing zone must be returned.
Action: The prospective tacklers on the kicking team and the blockers lined up in the setup zone for the receiving team cannot move until a returner touches the ball or it hits the ground. Once a returner catches the ball, the new kickoff model is designed to resemble a play from the line of scrimmage.

source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/03/27/nfl-new-kickoff-breakdown/

 

[Jessie C]

Is this for real? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I see many comical moments coming! Any other major changes we should know about? SMH.....

 

[Integrityrespec]

Setup: Under the new alignment, the kicker will line up alone on his half of the field and will kick from the traditional spot, at the 35-yard line. The other 21 players will line up at the opposite end of the field. The 10 other players on the kicking team will begin at the receiving team’s 40-yard line, separated initially by only five yards from blockers on the receiving team. At least nine of the 11 players on the receiving team will line up either at their 35-yard line or within five yards of it, in what’s called the “setup zone.” At least seven of those players must be on the 35-yard line. The receiving team is allowed as many as two returners.

Requirements: The kick must land between the goal line and the 20-yard line. To encourage returns, kicks into the end zone will be punished severely; the ball will be spotted at the 30-yard line. Kicks that hit in the landing zone, roll into the end zone and are downed there will be spotted at the 20-yard line. Kicks short of the landing zone will be spotted, like kicks out of bounds, at the 40-yard line. A kick that falls in the landing zone must be returned.
Action: The prospective tacklers on the kicking team and the blockers lined up in the setup zone for the receiving team cannot move until a returner touches the ball or it hits the ground. Once a returner catches the ball, the new kickoff model is designed to resemble a play from the line of scrimmage.

source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/03/27/nfl-new-kickoff-breakdown/

The point of this ignorant rule is what?

 

[Integrityrespec]

Is this for real? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I see many comical moments coming! Any other major changes we should know about? SMH.....

Certainly doesn't happen often, but I have to agree with Jessie. It's football and lets stop trying to make it into something else. Certainly gotten away from the game I played, watched, and coached.

 

[Chock Full o Nuts]

Saw this yesterday, ridiculous.

Is this for real? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I see many comical moments coming! Any other major changes we should know about? SMH.....

Yep, no more 'hip drop tackles'.

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www.cnn.com

Just play flag football.

 

[samiam5211]

The point of this ignorant rule is what?

They screwed up a few years back and made kickoffs irrelevant, so they are doing this to make the relevant again.

They should just go back to the way it used to be before they moved the kickoff up so far that every kick became a touchback.

 

[Rumblefish]

The point of this ignorant rule is what?

The rationale is that it will increase kick-off returns....which, let's face it have become boring (with just booming it into the end zone, no return, play the ball on the 25 yd. Apparently, they did this over in the XFL.

 

[SenorXm/Sirius]

To cut down on injuries... Not sure why this is in breaking news.. It's being discussed in the sports forum..

 

[Jessie C]

They screwed up a few years back and made kickoffs irrelevant, so they are doing this to make the relevant again.

They should just go back to the way it used to be before they moved the kickoff up so far that every kick became a touchback.

These kickers are going to be tearing their hair out!

 

[samiam5211]

These kickers are going to be tearing their hair out!

Yea it seems like kickoffs are going to have more rules than any other play now.

The Ref's will be calling some kind of penalty half the time.

 

[Bodecea]

Is this for real? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I see many comical moments coming! Any other major changes we should know about? SMH.....

I know...it's getting ridiculous.

 

[Zyphlin]

I am SOOOOOO happy! Ever since I saw the XFL do this I wanted the NFL to adopt it.

Let's be real, given the history of changes with the kickoff and the leagues focus on safety, continuing in the current direction would either have led to the full removal of the kickoff OR making it so 95% of all kicks are just touchbacks making it a pointless filler play.

The XFL style kick is safer, meaning it's more likely to stay. It encourages kicks to happen inside the field of play, meaning kickoffs suddenly become interesting again.

The only downside is you can't do “surprise” on-side kicks, but the rule changes have made them so hard to recover anyways that surprise onside kicks were practically non-existent at this point anyways.

Best rule change in years. This worked great in the XFL, so I don't know why it would somehow be convoluted and penalty heavy in the NFL

 

[Jessie C]

I am SOOOOOO happy! Ever since I saw the XFL do this I wanted the NFL to adopt it.

Let's be real, given the history of changes with the kickoff and the leagues focus on safety, continuing in the current direction would either have led to the full removal of the kickoff OR making it so 95% of all kicks are just touchbacks making it a pointless filler play.

The XFL style kick is safer, meaning it's more likely to stay. It encourages kicks to happen inside the field of play, meaning kickoffs suddenly become interesting again.

The only downside is you can't do “surprise” on-side kicks, but the rule changes have made them so hard to recover anyways that surprise onside kicks were practically non-existent at this point anyways.

Best rule change in years. This worked great in the XFL, so I don't know why it would somehow be convoluted and penalty heavy in the NFL

Seems to me there were a lot more kick off returns when touchbacks were placed on the 20 yard line. Why couldn't they just go back to that?

 

[Phys251]

Setup: Under the new alignment, the kicker will line up alone on his half of the field and will kick from the traditional spot, at the 35-yard line. The other 21 players will line up at the opposite end of the field. The 10 other players on the kicking team will begin at the receiving team’s 40-yard line, separated initially by only five yards from blockers on the receiving team. At least nine of the 11 players on the receiving team will line up either at their 35-yard line or within five yards of it, in what’s called the “setup zone.” At least seven of those players must be on the 35-yard line. The receiving team is allowed as many as two returners.

Requirements: The kick must land between the goal line and the 20-yard line. To encourage returns, kicks into the end zone will be punished severely; the ball will be spotted at the 30-yard line. Kicks that hit in the landing zone, roll into the end zone and are downed there will be spotted at the 20-yard line. Kicks short of the landing zone will be spotted, like kicks out of bounds, at the 40-yard line. A kick that falls in the landing zone must be returned.
Action: The prospective tacklers on the kicking team and the blockers lined up in the setup zone for the receiving team cannot move until a returner touches the ball or it hits the ground. Once a returner catches the ball, the new kickoff model is designed to resemble a play from the line of scrimmage.

source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/03/27/nfl-new-kickoff-breakdown/

They should have gone with the proposal of making kickoffs 4th-and-15 from the 35. Give teams that want to keep possession on kickoff a fighting chance.

 

[mike2810]

It is for real for the 2024 season. Looks like the owners want a one year test.

 

[mrjurrs]

Setup: Under the new alignment, the kicker will line up alone on his half of the field and will kick from the traditional spot, at the 35-yard line. The other 21 players will line up at the opposite end of the field. The 10 other players on the kicking team will begin at the receiving team’s 40-yard line, separated initially by only five yards from blockers on the receiving team. At least nine of the 11 players on the receiving team will line up either at their 35-yard line or within five yards of it, in what’s called the “setup zone.” At least seven of those players must be on the 35-yard line. The receiving team is allowed as many as two returners.

Requirements: The kick must land between the goal line and the 20-yard line. To encourage returns, kicks into the end zone will be punished severely; the ball will be spotted at the 30-yard line. Kicks that hit in the landing zone, roll into the end zone and are downed there will be spotted at the 20-yard line. Kicks short of the landing zone will be spotted, like kicks out of bounds, at the 40-yard line. A kick that falls in the landing zone must be returned.
Action: The prospective tacklers on the kicking team and the blockers lined up in the setup zone for the receiving team cannot move until a returner touches the ball or it hits the ground. Once a returner catches the ball, the new kickoff model is designed to resemble a play from the line of scrimmage.

source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/03/27/nfl-new-kickoff-breakdown/

I'd rather see ALL kicking plays removed. Too many injuries and penalties.
Plus, I think having to go for it on 4th down would make the game more interesting.

 

[Zyphlin]

Seems to me there were a lot more kick off returns when touchbacks were placed on the 20 yard line. Why couldn't they just go back to that?

Because of the very reasons it was changed in the first place, namely to reduce the amount of times and “unsafe play” occurred.

Let's be frank people. We can be “old man yells at clouds” all we want over how the game has changed. The way the rules deal with quarterbacks and wide receivers now is something I can't stand, and I'd love to see the old style kickoff. I would also love to have a goose who lays golden eggs and a unicorn that shits . Those two things are as likely as reverting back to the 90s NFL rules.

So given the actual reality that the NFL, partially for legal reasons, have to take safety into account and that analytics said that the old kickoff rules made it an disproportionately unsafe play, this rule change is likely absolute best option for those that:

1) want kickoffs to happen
2) want kickoff returns to happen

Because without it, logic would suggest we continue down the path of the past 15 or so years which was leading to less and less kickoff returns if not a complete removal of the kickoff all together.

 

[Threegoofs]

Its a great rule.

More kickoff returns, less injuries.

Better than constant kicks into the end zone.

 

[Jessie C]

Because of the very reasons it was changed in the first place, namely to reduce the amount of times and “unsafe play” occurred.

Let's be frank people. We can be “old man yells at clouds” all we want over how the game has changed. The way the rules deal with quarterbacks and wide receivers now is something I can't stand, and I'd love to see the old style kickoff. I would also love to have a goose who lays golden eggs and a unicorn that shits . Those two things are as likely as reverting back to the 90s NFL rules.

So given the actual reality that the NFL, partially for legal reasons, have to take safety into account and that analytics said that the old kickoff rules made it an disproportionately unsafe play, this rule change is likely absolute best option for those that:

1) want kickoffs to happen
2) want kickoff returns to happen

Because without it, logic would suggest we continue down the path of the past 15 or so years which was leading to less and less kickoff returns if not a complete removal of the kickoff all together.

You're right (grudgingly) but when NFL football stops being a contact sport, I"M DONE with it!

 

[VanceMack]

Saw this yesterday, ridiculous.

Yep, no more 'hip drop tackles'.

Loading…

www.cnn.com

Just play flag football.

Hip drops, collar tackles, spiking, gator rolls...they are all unnecessary tactics that hurt players. Adn I never saw a single defensive player complain when chop blocks, crack back blocks, illegal blocks to te back were all made illegal.

Player safety is critical. there is more they should change. They should also REQUIRE that a defensive player make an attempt at a tackle and not just 'hit' someone. Ideally, causing spinal damage and head injuries deliberately should NOT be a part of the game.

None of those rules changes takes away from the contact of the game.

 

[VanceMack]

Eliminating some of this doesnt make football a non contact sport. It may help preventing broken ankles, concussions, spinal damage, etc.

 

[poweRob]

Setup: Under the new alignment, the kicker will line up alone on his half of the field and will kick from the traditional spot, at the 35-yard line. The other 21 players will line up at the opposite end of the field. The 10 other players on the kicking team will begin at the receiving team’s 40-yard line, separated initially by only five yards from blockers on the receiving team. At least nine of the 11 players on the receiving team will line up either at their 35-yard line or within five yards of it, in what’s called the “setup zone.” At least seven of those players must be on the 35-yard line. The receiving team is allowed as many as two returners.

Requirements: The kick must land between the goal line and the 20-yard line. To encourage returns, kicks into the end zone will be punished severely; the ball will be spotted at the 30-yard line. Kicks that hit in the landing zone, roll into the end zone and are downed there will be spotted at the 20-yard line. Kicks short of the landing zone will be spotted, like kicks out of bounds, at the 40-yard line. A kick that falls in the landing zone must be returned.
Action: The prospective tacklers on the kicking team and the blockers lined up in the setup zone for the receiving team cannot move until a returner touches the ball or it hits the ground. Once a returner catches the ball, the new kickoff model is designed to resemble a play from the line of scrimmage.

source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/03/27/nfl-new-kickoff-breakdown/

I can see this creating more excitement in kickoffs. Seems that returns are really rare anymore due to kickers just booting it out of the end zone all the time. This looks like it's aimed at increasing special team's participation in the game some. Can't wait to see what it looks like in play.

I can't fully envision this by the description but I know they were kind of desperate to refuse the kickoff high speed collisions that where rather violent and damaging when the implemented the fair catch ball placement on kickoffs. That kind of eliminated special team's participation then.

 

[Maidenrules29]

Seems to me there were a lot more kick off returns when touchbacks were placed on the 20 yard line. Why couldn't they just go back to that?

Because they are trying to make the kick offs safer. When they were doing it the old way, the "gunners" and the returners were both running so fast that the collisions were catastrophic.

 

[VanceMack]

Because they are trying to make the kick offs safer. When they were doing it the old way, the "gunners" and the returners were both running so fast that the collisions were catastrophic.

No such thing as gunners on kickoffs. Punts...yes. But I suspect this was done more for the excitement of having actual run backs than in the name of safety.



notice the players are lined up just 5 yards apart and cant move until the ball is caught. The kicking team is penalized if it is a touchback. Its meant to add excitement to the kickoffs which have basically become just kick the ball into or even out of the end zone.

 

[Zyphlin]

You're right (grudgingly) but when NFL football stops being a contact sport, I"M DONE with it!

For what it's worth, the reason I wanted this rule change was because it's one of the rare ones that will give us MORE contact than what we have been getting