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New rule, effective in 2018 season, allows the receiving team to fair catch the kick inside the 25-yard line and have it result in a touchback

Link from NCAA

"The Football Rules Committee made the proposal to continue efforts to increase the number of touchbacks during kickoffs since fewer injuries occur during kickoffs that result in touchbacks than on kickoffs that are returned."

If that's the standard, let's just kick field goals every play.

This will increase the visibility of the rugby kicks out of bounds since you wouldn't be able to fair catch that type of kick. Our Punter actually had a great year kicking the ball inside the 20 with 21 versus only 10 by our opponents

I do not believe the new rule pertains to punts, only kickoffs. Kickoff out of bounds will still be at the 35.

Just stupid. I'm all for player safety, but this isn't a board game, it's an actual sport. That means there will be contact. With contact, and sometimes without it, people get injured and that is unfortunate. Fundamentally changing how the game should be played in favor of player safety? Well, let's just stop playing altogether because crap like this is laughable and will render the sport less competitive and frankly unwatchable.

when 75+% of all kickoffs end in a touchback or worse a penalty I'm coming around to getting rid of them

have to keep the kickoff in play somehow...otherwise, how do you keep possession after a score when trailing by 2-3 scores late in a game? Onside kicks are too big a part of the game to eliminate kickoffs altogether.

Just move the kickoff to the 50. Makes a touchback simple if desired and better position for a team that recovers an onside kick.

No onside kick allowed unless behind in score.

mrydel wrote:Just move the kickoff to the 50. Makes a touchback simple if desired and better position for a team that recovers an onside kick.

No onside kick allowed unless behind in score.

Wouldn't it be subjective as to whether there was an onside kick or a pooch kick? Not sure how you could referee/deduce.

I would short or "onside" kick every chance i had if it were at the 50 -
If it goes in the end zone or is fair caught, receiving team gets the ball at the 25
if it goes out of bounds, the receiving team gets it at the 35
what difference does 5 or 10 yards make?
Similar to the team that plays the %'s and goes for 2 every time. Wouldn't it be worth it to have 1 or 2 extra possessions a game?

I would see 2 strategies - either kicking onside just inside the 40 or low kick (cannot be fair caught) to die just inside the 10 yard line forcing a return that can hopefully be stopped inside the 20.

Would definitely change the game.

Stallion wrote:when 75+% of all kickoffs end in a touchback or worse a penalty I'm coming around to getting rid of them

Oh come on. So what should we do? Line up same as in OT for a tie game and just see who can score the most often? Really be something - endzone seats would be at a premium. OTH future stadiums could with the playing field cross shaped with a 53-1/3 by 53-1/3 yard square in the middle. The coin toss would be to determine which goal you wanted first or maybe a rotation CW or CCW (alternate coin toss decision) and spectators at every end would have the best seats 1/4 of the time.

No Quarter wrote:Oh come on. So what should we do? Line up same as in OT for a tie game and just see who can score the most often? Really be something - endzone seats would be at a premium. OTH future stadiums could with the playing field cross shaped with a 53-1/3 by 53-1/3 yard square in the middle. The coin toss would be to determine which goal you wanted first or maybe a rotation CW or CCW (alternate coin toss decision) and spectators at every end would have the best seats 1/4 of the time.

I think that is where we are eventually headed.

Apparently some on this board have never been on a kickoff coverage team before. I am for just putting the ball at the 25 and playing the game.

They used to jump balls in Basketball 10 times a game too-you won't miss it.

mrydel wrote:Apparently some on this board have never been on a kickoff coverage team before. I am for just putting the ball at the 25 and playing the game.

Make it more inclusive, i.e., never played on a team at all, and your observation would be 100% correct.

Stallion wrote:They used to jump balls in Basketball 10 times a game too-you won't miss it.

To each his own, but I don't think you quite have apples and apples there.

As ponyte shared a bit ago, Tom Lisle made a career out of onside kicks. He was a toe-kicker, and the practice sessions where he would rocket the ball at front line ST players were legendary scrums.

Banning kickoffs would take an important option away for teams that are trying to come from behind...the rule change to allow a fair catch on a kickoff is already there...just the ball placement will be at the 25. Coaches will adapt strategy,