NFL will consider ending kickoffs - Basketball Forum : Professional and College Basketball Forums

**Prince** · 12-06-2012, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday the NFL's competition committee would consider in the offseason replacing the kickoff. The league previously had moved the kickoff from the 30- to 35-yard line to cut down on violent collisions.

Goodell and Rich McKay, the head of the league's competition committee, discussed an idea brought up by Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano in which a team, instead of kicking off, would get the ball at its own 30-yard line in a fourth-and-15 situation. The team then would punt the ball away or, to replace an onside kick, could go for it and, if it failed to get a first down, the opposing squad would start with great field position.

"The fact is, it's a much different end of the play," Goodell said during the meeting, according to Time magazine.

Speaking about the potential change before Thursday night's Raiders-Broncos game in Oakland, Calif., the commissioner said, "I thought it was an interesting idea. The committee will look at it."

Schiano discussed his idea earlier this season in an ESPN The Magazine story. Schiano, who was the coach at Rutgers in 2010 when Eric LeGrand was paralyzed on a kickoff, has seen first-hand how the play can adversely affect the safety of players.

LeGrand broke two vertebrae and suffered a serious spinal cord injury in October 2010 during a kickoff return against Army. He became an inspiration to his college teammates, eventually being able to stand upright with the help of a metal frame.

Schiano told ESPN The Magazine in September that he believed kickoffs eventually would be eliminated from pro football.

"I believe that day will come," he said. "Unfortunately, it will probably take more players being seriously hurt. But I think there's another way to do this."

The NFL already has been working to make kickoffs safer.

Last season, the NFL moved kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35 and required the coverage unit to start within 5 yards of the ball, closing the distance between the teams. Both rules had their desired effects. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, 16.4 percent of kickoffs led to touchbacks in 2010; last year it was 43.5 percent. The NFL found that players suffered 40 percent fewer concussions on kickoffs in 2011, McKay told ESPN The Magazine.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/87...ating-kickoffs

**Headliner** · 12-06-2012, 09:39 PM

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. lol two hand touch.

**Prince** · 12-06-2012, 09:42 PM

Marcus13 · 12-07-2012, 06:34 AM

Don't let this man ruin football.

This will forever mess up the stat books. Every offensive stat is going to have to have an asterick saying *since 2014 when NFL ended kickoffs

scdn · 12-07-2012, 06:45 AM

This is the same guy who tells his players to kill the QB on kneel downs at the end of the game.

**Diable** · 12-07-2012, 06:54 AM

Someone was telling me about this yesterday. I stared at him blankly for a long time, because I couldn't believe that anyone was contemplating anything this dumb. I really thought he was just ****ing with me.

ATLien · 12-07-2012, 07:59 AM

Guess I'm in the minority, don't have a big problem with this.

What % of all kick offs are touchbacks or end up around the 20 anyway? It's got to be high. Don't think this would change the game as much as you think.

**Diable** · 12-07-2012, 08:22 AM

The % of touchbacks was increased monumentally when they moved the spot of the kickoff to the 35. That largely took returns out of the game by itself. I wonder if you could get some engineers together and design a K ball that would go 5 or 10 % further. If you did that it would eliminate the return game by itself.

FSH · 12-07-2012, 08:49 AM

go to the one good thing the XFL had.

**Basel** · 12-07-2012, 08:52 AM

What the ****?

UD40 · 12-07-2012, 09:07 AM

kbdullah · 12-07-2012, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATLien

Guess I'm in the minority, don't have a big problem with this.

What % of all kick offs are touchbacks or end up around the 20 anyway? It's got to be high. Don't think this would change the game as much as you think.

I'm close to ATLien w/ this. Given the NFL's current stance, it isn't much of a change. They probably shouldn't do it now, b/c the shock would be too great, but after a few more years of watching guys attempting to return a kickoff 10 yards into the end zone, only to return it to the 12 and suffer an injury, people will warm to the idea.

They are basically turning kickoffs into punts. Punt returns are already more exciting than kickoffs anyway. I'm assuming the NFL considers punts safer b/c there's a line of scrimmage instead of guys running up and down unimpeded.

I'd also rather have roster slots for actual bench players who can sub in for the increasingly injured starters than kickoff team specialists.

My only true objection at this point is punting from your 30 might give the other team overly generous field position. If you move the ball up to the 40, the receiving team would be in a position to catch the ball near their goal line and return the punt. But then if a team successfully converts an "onside punt", they have the ball from the other teams 45 instead of their own 45. Whether there exists a spot on the field that is fair to both the kicking and receiving team, I'm not sure.

**Pimped Out** · 12-07-2012, 11:42 AM

I'm with ATLien with this not bothering me. I also don't see Marcus' point as to how this changes offensive records.

kbdullah · 12-07-2012, 12:27 PM

If it significantly altered starting positions, I could see the perception of offensive records changing. If they do it, they have to make sure the line of scrimmage is set at a place that doesn't drastically impact the starting position of an offense, or the position of an onside kick recovery.

**Pimped Out** · 12-08-2012, 11:31 AM

Avg Starting Field Position
After Kickoff
2011 22.1
2010 26.8
2009 26.4
2008 27.2
2007 28.1

The avg net yardage on a punt is about 40, so punting from your own 30 would put the ball, on average, at the opposing 30.

12-06-2012, 09:39 PM	#2 (permalink)
Headliner ____________ Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,892 Rep Power: 665818	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. lol two hand touch.

12-06-2012, 09:42 PM	#3 (permalink)
Prince Formerly Known as Quite Frankly Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 22 Posts: 11,764 Rep Power: 4532849	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs __________________ 2032 KVBL Champions: Milwaukee Bucks (Prince) Lineup - PG D'Angelo McMillian \| SG Eddy Sweet \| SF Cameron Clothier \| PF Mario Rogic \| C Greg Hope \| 6th man C Andre Wright Finals MVP: Greg Hope 2033 KVBL Champions: Milwaukee Bucks (Prince) Lineup - PG D'Angelo McMillian \| SG Joseph McDaniels \| SF Cameron Clothier \| PF Mario Rogic \| C Greg Hope \| 6th man C Peter Acres Finals MVP: Greg Hope Fear the Deer Minnesota Timberwolves

12-07-2012, 06:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
Marcus13 Jesus Shuttlesworth Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Indianapolis Age: 25 Posts: 13,977 Rep Power: 2950340	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs Don't let this man ruin football. This will forever mess up the stat books. Every offensive stat is going to have to have an asterick saying *since 2014 when NFL ended kickoffs __________________

12-07-2012, 06:45 AM	#5 (permalink)
scdn History will repeat after 20 years Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 3,522 Rep Power: 1626404	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs This is the same guy who tells his players to kill the QB on kneel downs at the end of the game. __________________ KVBL Owner, San Antonio Spurs Quincy McCall/Bo Roberts Mikel Opoku/Willie Worsley Norberto Rosas Harry Kingsley Casey Schuler/Richard Osborn

12-07-2012, 06:54 AM	#6 (permalink)
Diable Limehouse Blues Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 22,127 Rep Power: 14577544	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs Someone was telling me about this yesterday. I stared at him blankly for a long time, because I couldn't believe that anyone was contemplating anything this dumb. I really thought he was just ****ing with me. __________________

12-07-2012, 07:59 AM	#7 (permalink)
ATLien Icon Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 45,735 Rep Power: 21472363	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs Guess I'm in the minority, don't have a big problem with this. What % of all kick offs are touchbacks or end up around the 20 anyway? It's got to be high. Don't think this would change the game as much as you think.

12-07-2012, 08:22 AM	#8 (permalink)
Diable Limehouse Blues Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 22,127 Rep Power: 14577544	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs The % of touchbacks was increased monumentally when they moved the spot of the kickoff to the 35. That largely took returns out of the game by itself. I wonder if you could get some engineers together and design a K ball that would go 5 or 10 % further. If you did that it would eliminate the return game by itself. __________________

12-07-2012, 08:49 AM	#9 (permalink)
FSH I want Waffles. Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Syracuse,NY Posts: 13,889 Rep Power: 4891286	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs go to the one good thing the XFL had. __________________

12-07-2012, 08:52 AM	#10 (permalink)
Basel Legen-wait for it-dary! Legendary! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Parts Unknown Age: 27 Posts: 68,398 Rep Power: 21474913	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs What the **? __________________ Best there is, best there was, best there ever will be.**

12-07-2012, 09:07 AM	#11 (permalink)
UD40 Watch The Throne Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 18,556 Rep Power: 8119766	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs __________________ All Heat First Team Tim Hardaway Dwyane Wade LeBron James Chris Bosh Alonzo Mourning All Heat Second Team Mario Chalmers Eddie Jones Glen Rice Udonis Haslem Shaquille O'Neal

12-07-2012, 11:42 AM	#13 (permalink)
Pimped Out Not Just Dumb, Aggie Dumb Join Date: May 2005 Location: God's Waiting Room Posts: 18,773 Rep Power: 21474863	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs I'm with ATLien with this not bothering me. I also don't see Marcus' point as to how this changes offensive records. __________________ I travelled the world and the seven seas I AM WATCHING YOU THROUGH A CAMERA

12-07-2012, 12:27 PM	#14 (permalink)
kbdullah Star Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 3,402 Rep Power: 1266257	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs If it significantly altered starting positions, I could see the perception of offensive records changing. If they do it, they have to make sure the line of scrimmage is set at a place that doesn't drastically impact the starting position of an offense, or the position of an onside kick recovery.

12-08-2012, 11:31 AM	#15 (permalink)
Pimped Out Not Just Dumb, Aggie Dumb Join Date: May 2005 Location: God's Waiting Room Posts: 18,773 Rep Power: 21474863	Re: NFL will consider ending kickoffs Avg Starting Field Position After Kickoff 2011 22.1 2010 26.8 2009 26.4 2008 27.2 2007 28.1 The avg net yardage on a punt is about 40, so punting from your own 30 would put the ball, on average, at the opposing 30. __________________ I travelled the world and the seven seas I AM WATCHING YOU THROUGH A CAMERA

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