NCAA approves kickoff rule change for upcoming football season

[rick64]

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/foot...off-rule-change-for-upcoming-football-season/

“Effective immediately, the receiving team may now call for a fair catch anywhere inside the 25-yard line, resulting in a touchback.”

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/foot...off-rule-change-for-upcoming-football-season/

“Effective immediately, the receiving team may now call for a fair catch anywhere inside the 25-yard line, resulting in a touchback.”

I don't see this rule change as having a huge impact. Teams could always call fair catch on any kickoff, the difference is getting on the 25 if it's inside the 25, Teams with bigtime returners won't want to fair catch it and teams not very good at it will

 

[vhcat70]

It stops trying to pin the receiving team in a deep corner & if successful, forcing them to run.

 

[JC CATS]

So how long before the KO's are done away with?

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

It stops trying to pin the receiving team in a deep corner & if successful, forcing them to run.

Most of those that pin teams deep hit the ground and returner has to chase it down. Once it hits the ground no fair catches, call a fair catch and don't catch it, unlike a punt, its a free ball.

 

[ukalum1988]

The pussification of football continues....

 

[bthaunert]

I don't see this rule change as having a huge impact. Teams could always call fair catch on any kickoff, the difference is getting on the 25 if it's inside the 25, Teams with bigtime returners won't want to fair catch it and teams not very good at it will

I agree with this. I don’t think it’s a huge deal.

 

[Gary4UK]

I don't like it... Why don't they just play flag football... Football used to be played in leather, not pads... If they keep watering down the game, there won't be a game... The PC crowd is already onto football as a brutal sport and they don't know football from croquet...

 

[JDHoss]

I don't see this rule change as having a huge impact. Teams could always call fair catch on any kickoff, the difference is getting on the 25 if it's inside the 25, Teams with bigtime returners won't want to fair catch it and teams not very good at it will

Yep....there will be much hand wringing over nothing.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I don't like it... Why don't they just play flag football... Football used to be played in leather, not pads... If they keep watering down the game, there won't be a game... The PC crowd is already onto football as a brutal sport and they don't know football from croquet...

No doubt that is all true, but players were also 5'10" and weighed 160 and ran a 5.2 40

 

[TBCat]

I don't see this rule change as having a huge impact. Teams could always call fair catch on any kickoff, the difference is getting on the 25 if it's inside the 25, Teams with bigtime returners won't want to fair catch it and teams not very good at it will

Agreed. This won't affect normal kickoffs at all. It will mostly stop teams from trying to pop it up to an up back standing around the 15 yard line or so. That doesn't happen much anyway.

 

[Johnfarrel]

No doubt that is all true, but players were also 5'10" and weighed 160 and ran a 5.2 40

I don't believe Alabama had a starter on offence that weighed over 250 lbs. on the team that Nebraska for the championship in 1965. And Bill Curry played center for the Green Bay Packers at 250. Times have certainty changed.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I don't believe Alabama had a starter on offence that weighed over 250 lbs. on the team that Nebraska for the championship in 1965. And Bill Curry played center for the Green Bay Packers at 250. Times have certainty changed.

Pat Dye, the former AU coach and owner of their current recruiting cabin was an AA OG and LB at UGA in the late 50's at 185lb. I am surprised Curry was 250lb in his playing days. Kids have just gotten so much bigger faster and stronger today. I understand the excitement of a big kick return, but the size and speed of they guys now it's almost like getting hit by a car. Kicks and punts is spring games are dead for a reason, and it isn't because coaches don't want big returns.

Todd Gurley was an amazing kick returner, he returned probably 6-8 kicks while at UGA, 3 went for TD's but one was called back. He was 240 lb guy with college sprinter speed with elite vision. The reason he didn't return more often was he was too valuable to the offense to risk him getting hurt returning kicks.

 

[USMC Cat]

So how long before the KO's are done away with?

They clearly want to give a team every option possible instead of returning the kick.

 

[mrschwump]

I don't like it... Why don't they just play flag football... Football used to be played in leather, not pads... If they keep watering down the game, there won't be a game... The PC crowd is already onto football as a brutal sport and they don't know football from croquet...

There was a time during I think it was Teddy Roosevelt's admin there was a move to abolish the sport entirely because of a series of deaths. Safety features/rules changes ensued and we're where we are now. I have no problem with it, few kicks are returned anyway and if it saves guys from wrecked knees/shoulders and concussions so be it.

 

[cardinalfan123]

It's just the next step towards eliminating kickoffs completely.

 

[JDHoss]

Kids have just gotten so much bigger faster and stronger today. I understand the excitement of a big kick return, but the size and speed of they guys now it's almost like getting hit by a car. Kicks and punts is spring games are dead for a reason, and it isn't because coaches don't want big returns

High schools have done this for ages with scrimmages and jamborees, and it's not because they don't want to work on the kicking game.

 

[OFortuna]

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/foot...off-rule-change-for-upcoming-football-season/

“Effective immediately, the receiving team may now call for a fair catch anywhere inside the 25-yard line, resulting in a touchback.”

The rule reduces the need for a strong-legged kicker since a well-executed pooch kick will net the same result as a booming touchback. Given the number of block in the back penalties that seem to accompany so many kick returns, the fair catch will likely be the preferred option for most receiving teams. As others have said, reducing kick returns appears to be the intent of this rule.

One potential adjustment kicking teams may make is to develop a more effective, rugby style squib kickoff, especially in end of half/game situations where they want the other team to use clock time for a return (think Louisville game 2 years ago). Our Aussie punter could also be assuming some kickoff duties....

 

[Johnfarrel]

Pat Dye, the former AU coach and owner of their current recruiting cabin was an AA OG and LB at UGA in the late 50's at 185lb. I am surprised Curry was 250lb in his playing days. Kids have just gotten so much bigger faster and stronger today. I understand the excitement of a big kick return, but the size and speed of they guys now it's almost like getting hit by a car. Kicks and punts is spring games are dead for a reason, and it isn't because coaches don't want big returns.

Todd Gurley was an amazing kick returner, he returned probably 6-8 kicks while at UGA, 3 went for TD's but one was called back. He was 240 lb guy with college sprinter speed with elite vision. The reason he didn't return more often was he was too valuable to the offense to risk him getting hurt returning kicks.

Grumpy, I clicked on the like symbol, but then I saw a thumbs down. I would never send you a thumbs down.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

Football is being "destroyed" at the youth level because of mom fearing to let their sons play. This is because of the head injury component...that we see in the kicking situations largely. So we can huff and puff about football being for real men back in our day...but if it dies on the vine we'll all wish that they made some tweaks to the punt and kick offs that could help save the game.

 

[OHIO COLONEL]

No doubt players are much bigger and faster than the 'old days'. But I think you need to factor in equipment too. Take away some of the padding and facemask ( which they'll never do) and most , if not all, of these high impact tackles/collisions that lead to head trauma and other injuries would stop. You don't see many of the old-timers with memory loss, etc.

 

[JDHoss]

No doubt players are much bigger and faster than the 'old days'. But I think you need to factor in equipment too. Take away some of the padding and facemask ( which they'll never do) and most , if not all, of these high impact tackles/collisions that lead to head trauma and other injuries would stop. You don't see many of the old-timers with memory loss, etc.

The equipment doesn't factor into it. The main factor is that today's players are like large, guided missiles. Hell, in the mid 70's I got a concussion when a kid who weighed about 170 launched and put the crown of his helmet into my ear hole during a kick return. Of course back then, it was called "getting your bell rung". I can't imagine what it's like to get hit by today's players with their size and speed.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

No doubt players are much bigger and faster than the 'old days'. But I think you need to factor in equipment too. Take away some of the padding and facemask ( which they'll never do) and most , if not all, of these high impact tackles/collisions that lead to head trauma and other injuries would stop. You don't see many of the old-timers with memory loss, etc.

Many schools throughout the country see more concussions in football practices when no helmets are being worn as compared to when they are wearing helmets.

 

[trueblujr2]

“I hate this rule”
Signed, Kash Daniels.

Kash, more than once, has leveled a kick returner inside the 25. I think you will see more squibs or placement kicks that we want to hit the ground first but stay in play to force a return of some sort if we feel confident we can pin them.