NFL Passes New Rule For Kickoffs

[Vic Mackey 47,843]

NFL passed a new rule for kickoffs and they will now look like this:

 

[Park Gothic 5,342]

[Zeus 6,753]

More returns

Bigger returns

I'm in

Now loosen up the rules on onside kicks so it's not 1% it's more of a comfy 15% chance

[Ten Bears 2,499]

Worthy's draft pick just went up.

[Surly Bevo 25,654]

[Gene Parmesan 4,062]

I get that that is probably safer, but did they also change the touchback rules?  What is the incentive to return, or kick a returnable ball?

[BurntOrange&White 41,646]

5 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

Way better than current kickoffs....

 

Posted in another thread but NFL kickoff return rate was like 20ish% where as the XFL was 90ish%

[BurntOrange&White 41,646]

4 minutes ago, Gene Parmesan said:

I get that that is probably safer, but did they also change the touchback rules?  What is the incentive to return, or kick a returnable ball?

Quote

No one other than the kicker and returner(s) can move until the ball hits the ground or hits a player inside the landing zone. Touchbacks will be marked at the 30-yard line, and no fair catches will be allowed. In the event a team wants to attempt an onside kick, it will have to inform officials of its intent and would then be allowed to use the NFL's traditional formation. No surprise onside kicks will be allowed.

Basically you want to kick high angle kicks and not be touchbacks.

[Surly Bevo 25,654]

2 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Way better than current kickoffs....

 

Posted in another thread but NFL kickoff return rate was like 20ish% where as the XFL was 90ish%

Oh I am willing to give it a shot, reaction is more to just how wildass looking that is to what we are normally used to.  Though seems to me the play is for these NFL kickers still to just drill the ball out of the back of the end zone.  I realize they get the ball at the 30 but sooo that 5 yards isn't life or death

Edited March 26 by Surly Bevo

[BurntOrange&White 41,646]

1 minute ago, Surly Bevo said:

Oh I am willing to give it a shot, reaction is more to just how wildass looking that is to what we are normally used to.  Though seems to me the play is for these NFL kickers still to just drill the ball out of the back of the end zone.

If you watched any of the XFL last spring it's their rule basically. It's going to be much better and engaging now and not just a sprint down for the kicking team and fair catch by receiving. Look at post above better to not kick through endzone

Edited March 26 by BurntOrange&White

[Vertigo 20,461]

Just looking at that single return it could truly be a game changer in terms of scheme. You have stationary targets that you can actually create blocking assignments and other plays with. It looks dumb as shit, but I kind of like it. 

[Tex Long 4,613]

Take a leaf from the Canadian Football rule book, and give the kicking team a point if the ball isn't  returned from the end zone. Run it out or give up a point. Used to call it a Rouge, maybe still do.

[Hermanator 7,570]

It makes kickoffs worth watching again. Sucks the surprise inside isn't a thing anymore but honestly that only happened a time or two a season at most anyway. Small price to pay to actually get a kickoff worth watching again. This will forever be the enduring legacy of the XFL long after it folds again. 

[Surly Bevo 25,654]

It will be fun to see which kicker is the first to develop a stinger shot kind of kick that is low, fast but also hits the ground at about the 20 yard line. 
 

Ball placement becomes way more important than hang time with the rule that nobody but returners can move before ball is either caught or hits the ground. 

Edited March 26 by Surly Bevo

[Guest]

What's the rules about the alignment of players for the kicking team? Looks like they are spread apart across the entire width of the field. Can they be lined up toward one side or the other?

[Guest]

Also, how will onsides now work?

[Deej 77,667]

Man, that would confuse the hell out of Charlie Strong. 

[Gene Parmesan 4,062]

16 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Also, how will onsides now work?

You have to announce your intention to onside kick.  So no more surprise onsides.

[Hagbard Celine 11,157]

18 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Also, how will onsides now work?

No one other than the kicker and returner(s) can move until the ball hits the ground or hits a player inside the landing zone. Touchbacks will be marked at the 30-yard line, and no fair catches will be allowed. In the event a team wants to attempt an onside kick, it will have to inform officials of its intent and would then be allowed to use the NFL's traditional formation. No surprise onside kicks will be allowed.

[Hagbard Celine 11,157]

i don't see anything about requirements for x players on either side of the hashes or anything like that

this has the potential to create rugby-style old-school double- & triple-pitch option stuff, cross-field laterals, all kinds of weirdness

in

[Hagbard Celine 11,157]

14 minutes ago, Deej said:

Man, that would confuse the hell out of Charlie Strong. 

it would also add a few extra pounds to the thermensa binder

[MonkeyDoughnut 10,761]

Looks good, should expect returns most kicks I would think

[ImissWallyPryor 9,046]

Let me know if/when this is adopted by CFB. I watch very, very little NFL these days. 

[Beau Vine 55,816]

3 hours ago, Tex Long said:

Take a leaf from the Canadian Football rule book, and give the kicking team a point if the ball isn't  returned from the end zone. Run it out or give up a point. Used to call it a Rouge, maybe still do.

I've been saying this for years.  I would have also settled for eliminating kickoffs completely.

Anything is better than a 90% chance of a touchback, though.

[Vic Mackey 47,843]

1 hour ago, Gene Parmesan said:

You have to announce your intention to onside kick.  So no more surprise onsides.

How many surprise onsides even happened on a yearly basis and beyond that, how many worked? Seems the opposing team were on guard for an onside when it was a situation that might warrant it. The most infamous surprise onside I can remember was the Saints/Colts Super Bowl to start the 2nd half by the Saints.

[closetojumping 65,243]

4 hours ago, Gene Parmesan said:

I get that that is probably safer, but did they also change the touchback rules?  What is the incentive to return, or kick a returnable ball?

Touchbacks now move to the 30 yard line. It starts to become punitive to make those happen.

23 minutes ago, ImissWallyPryor said:

Let me know if/when this is adopted by CFB. I watch very, very little NFL these days. 

It will be adopted next year. Kirby Smart is part of one of the committees collaborating on this and he said that if it goes well this year in the NFL, there is more or less uniform agreement to adopt it in the NCAA. This kind of return set-up incents more gameplay while also making the play itself safer. It therefore gives younger players more experience on meaningful snaps, which almost all college coaches want. 

I see no downside as a fan. I find the current KO set-up to be boring as hell.

[TexasGolf 5,384]

2 hours ago, Deej said:

Man, that would confuse the hell out of Charlie Strong. 

 

[Murfdogg21 4,547]

Why can’t they make it where the kicker can drop it anywhere past the 35 (or the area between where the two teams line up) and it’s a recoverable, live ball? Keeps the onside and surprise onside still in play. 

[Funk Doctor Spock 13,120]

Devin Duvernay about to get 10 more years in the league, and Keilan Robinson may get drafted. Sweet!

[Reese Bennett 3,647]

Puts a premium on having a kicker who can tackle.

[Blotto 23,974]

9 hours ago, Deej said:

Man, that would confuse the hell out of Charlie Strong. 

You could say the same thing about doorknobs

[Hagbard Celine 11,157]

3 hours ago, Reese Bennett said:

Puts a premium on having a kicker who can tackle.

there will now be 3 kickers on every roster for field goals, punts and kickoffs

[Reese Bennett 3,647]

1 hour ago, Hagbard Celine said:

there will now be 3 kickers on every roster for field goals, punts and kickoffs

Teach a safety or CB to kickoff so they can run down someone who gets through the scrum.

[hornian 5,281]

On 3/26/2024 at 10:38 AM, Ten Bears said:

Worthy's draft pick just went up.

Keilan just got upgraded to draft pick instead of UDFA on most people's boards. 

[Juicy 729]

21 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

How many surprise onsides even happened on a yearly basis and beyond that, how many worked? Seems the opposing team were on guard for an onside when it was a situation that might warrant it. The most infamous surprise onside I can remember was the Saints/Colts Super Bowl to start the 2nd half by the Saints.

The lions had one a few years ago against the rams. The year they traded stafford, but that is the last one I can think of. 

 

[Juicy 729]

18 hours ago, Murfdogg21 said:

Why can’t they make it where the kicker can drop it anywhere past the 35 (or the area between where the two teams line up) and it’s a recoverable, live ball? Keeps the onside and surprise onside still in play. 

I think that is and has always been a rule. It is just not an onside. The recovering team has to recover the ball in play, if the kicking team recovers after 10 yards its their ball. 

[Hagbard Celine 11,157]

what happens if the kickoff is botched and hits a kicking team player in the back or on his head?  but then the ball deflects to a receiving team player who proceeds to break free and score?

[Murfdogg21 4,547]

I think if the ball lands in the end zone or hits short of the landing zone (including hitting kicking team players), the ball comes all the way out to the 35.

[westexhorn 2,157]

On 3/26/2024 at 10:38 AM, Ten Bears said:

Worthy's draft pick just went up.

Kellan just made money as well.  Good for him.

[Huckleberry 34,404]

Yep, I don't see a good reason not to like this change. I liked the 4th and 15 from your own 30 (instead of kickoffs meaning you could go for it or punt) rule suggestion also but this is less radical at least.

Edited March 28 by Huckleberry

[markstanco 12,772]

How many surprise onsides even happened on a yearly basis and beyond that, how many worked? Seems the opposing team were on guard for an onside when it was a situation that might warrant it. The most infamous surprise onside I can remember was the Saints/Colts Super Bowl to start the 2nd half by the Saints.

It can’t be more than once or twice a year where it actually worked.

If it does actually work my Monday morning YT feed would have multiple videos.

[AUS-97HORN 11,991]

15 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

Yep, I don't see a good reason not to like this change. I liked the 4th and 15 from your own 30 (instead of kickoffs meaning you could go for it or punt) rule suggestion also but this is less radical at least.

I was thinking more like 4th and 20.  because 4th and 15 conversion rates are ~22% ... however over 4th and 15 combined is 13.5%

 

its "doable" but its supposed to be a ~10% success rate.  The old onside rate was ~13.5 (that included the surprise kicks).   its basically down to it working maybe 2-3 times a year now anyway.  Just 2 successful last year out of 40 attempts.

[Steel Shank 9,533]

makes me want to lay pipe

[BurntOrange&White 41,646]

37 minutes ago, AUS-97HORN said:

I was thinking more like 4th and 20.  because 4th and 15 conversion rates are ~22% ... however over 4th and 15 combined is 13.5%

 

its "doable" but its supposed to be a ~10% success rate.  The old onside rate was ~13.5 (that included the surprise kicks).   its basically down to it working maybe 2-3 times a year now anyway.  Just 2 successful last year out of 40 attempts.

Here is a good interview with saint ST coordinator. He has a ton of statistics as to why and how many more football plays we are likely to get. 
 

 

Edited March 28 by BurntOrange&White

[AUS-97HORN 11,991]

20 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Here is a good interview with saint ST coordinator. He has a ton of statistics as to why and how many more football plays we are likely to get. 
 

I appreciate the details on the kickoffs and how it will help. 

 

My post was more about why they really need to do the 4th and 20 from their own 20 yard line option as an alternative to the now, basically useless onside kick.    first off starting at the 20 means even if the kickoff team get the 20 yards, they are most likely still starting the next drive on their side of the field, which is exactly what happened on an onsite recovery around the 45 yard line.

and 2nd, because the stats say that even at 4th and 15, teams are converting at basically 2-in-9 tries.  4th and 20 puts them more in the 1-in-9 conversion level.   which again, is much closer to the pre-2018 rule change numbers.

 

its supposed to be hard, unlikely even because even after getting the onside, the recovery team still has to go 15-55 yards in a very short period to tie or win.   but right now, with only a 5% chance just to recover the onside, that means you only have like a 2.5% chance to win with 2 scores needed under a min.  the old way you had more like a 5% chance. meaning the 2 score comeback under 1 min happened like 2-3 times a year.

[Murfdogg21 4,547]

On 3/27/2024 at 12:54 PM, Juicy said:

I think that is and has always been a rule. It is just not an onside. The recovering team has to recover the ball in play, if the kicking team recovers after 10 yards its their ball. 

I was talking about the new kickoff. The ball has to land behind the return team’s line and I think it’s dead until a returner touches it. I was proposing with the new kickoff format, to make it a live ball as soon as it touches the ground or any return team player and could be dropped into the neutral zone between the lines, rather than behind both lines.