I know it’s the NFL but I can see college ball going this way if it works out.
Teams will kickoff from the 35. The other ten members of the kicking team line up at the receiving team’s 40. The receiving team must put at least nine men between their 35 and 30. Either one or two returners between the 20 and the goal line. Nobody but the kicker and the returners can move until the ball is touched by a returner. No fair catches are allowed and touchbacks go to the 30. If a team wants to try an onside kick they have to tell the officials and they line up in a traditional manner. The article doesn’t say if there are adjustments due to a penalty assessed on the kickoff.
This will certainly increase kick returns but watching it will take getting used to. Something similar was done in the XFL. I saw a video of one of their kickoffs and it looked weird but I guess after a while it will be normal.
So would you want something like this in college ball? I am tired of seeing a kick caught at the one and then the player getting free territory by a fair catch.
Teams will kickoff from the 35. The other ten members of the kicking team line up at the receiving team’s 40. The receiving team must put at least nine men between their 35 and 30. Either one or two returners between the 20 and the goal line. Nobody but the kicker and the returners can move until the ball is touched by a returner. No fair catches are allowed and touchbacks go to the 30. If a team wants to try an onside kick they have to tell the officials and they line up in a traditional manner. The article doesn’t say if there are adjustments due to a penalty assessed on the kickoff.
This will certainly increase kick returns but watching it will take getting used to. Something similar was done in the XFL. I saw a video of one of their kickoffs and it looked weird but I guess after a while it will be normal.
So would you want something like this in college ball? I am tired of seeing a kick caught at the one and then the player getting free territory by a fair catch.
NFL owners approve massive revamp to kickoff
NFL owners approved a massive revamp of the kickoff play Tuesday, opting for a format that originated in the XFL.
www.espn.com