New kickoff rule

[Chi-Boiler]

I haven't anything about this yet. Only reason I'm even aware is because my kid reads every word of the sports page when he gets his hands on it. He noticed it in the Chicago Tribune college football preview last weekend. So this year, you can fair catch a kickoff inside the 25 yard line, and it automatically becomes a touchback and you start on the 25. Sounds crazy. I get the notion of making the kicking game safer but this seems like an extreme reaction. I guess I'm glad my seats are between the 20-25 yard line.

https://www.si.com/college-football/2018/04/13/ncaa-rule-changes-kickoff-returns-touchback

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

I haven't anything about this yet. Only reason I'm even aware is because my kid reads every word of the sports page when he gets his hands on it. He noticed it in the Chicago Tribune college football preview last weekend. So this year, you can fair catch a kickoff inside the 25 yard line, and it automatically becomes a touchback and you start on the 25. Sounds crazy. I get the notion of making the kicking game safer but this seems like an extreme reaction. I guess I'm glad my seats are between the 20-25 yard line.

https://www.si.com/college-football/2018/04/13/ncaa-rule-changes-kickoff-returns-touchback

If they want to really make the kickoff safer....make it similar to a punt setup unless they declare it is going to be an onsides kick. Have the players no more than 3 yards on the kicking team and no more than 15 yards for the receiving team...this reduces the chance of hard hits and contact where some players have 30-40 yards of running and hitting a relatively stationary target.

 

[boilerman101]

Give everyone a flag, and call it flag football. If anyone makes contact, they get thrown out of the game. Also, no kick-offs, just spot it at the 25. No punts, just move it 40yds down the field. Then, you'd be more likely to get hurt tripping in the stands, than a player on the field. Also, could bubble-wrap the players. Have UPS put foam peanuts on the field. Are you ready for some safe football?

 

[FirstDownB]

My personal opinion of the rule aside.. I think the smart thing to do strategically, unless you are behind in the game, will be to take the ball at the 25.

 

[72Boiler]

My personal opinion of the rule aside.. I think the smart thing to do strategically, unless you are behind in the game, will be to take the ball at the 25.

How about the strategy from the kicking team? There is really no reason to kick the ball deep, Unless you think you can kick it away from everyone, so they can't fair catch it. And there you run the risk of the ball bouncing into the end zone, making a touchback, anyway. Have college kickoffs been reduced to just that, really?

 

[purduepat1969]

With this rule, kickoffs are pointless. Almost all catches are going to be inside the 10, so why even bother running it out? Just fair catch everything or waive the kickoff and place the ball on the 25.

 

[BoilerBulldog]

How about the strategy from the kicking team? There is really no reason to kick the ball deep, Unless you think you can kick it away from everyone, so they can't fair catch it. And there you run the risk of the ball bouncing into the end zone, making a touchback, anyway. Have college kickoffs been reduced to just that, really?

Yet honestly this adds a level of strategy to kickoffs that wasn’t there before. I’m willing to give it a shot and see how it plays out.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

Yet honestly this adds a level of strategy to kickoffs that wasn’t there before. I’m willing to give it a shot and see how it plays out.

Likely you try to find a kid who can get a ton of height on his kick, pooch it to the 20, and force an up man to make a catch with people coming at him. A fair catch that is dropped is still a live ball.

 

[72Boiler]

Likely you try to find a kid who can get a ton of height on his kick, pooch it to the 20, and force an up man to make a catch with people coming at him. A fair catch that is dropped is still a live ball.

Okay, I get that. Thank you, JDB.

 

[New40ish]

Years ago they changed the yardline of putting the ball in play from the 20 to the 25 to discourage the kicking team from kicking it into the endzone. It seems now they just don’t really want any kick returns at all. So what is the next move 5 years from now? Eliminate kickoffs altogether and just put the ball in play at the 20 or 25? I actually like what they did in the pro game. To me a 100 yard kickoff return is still the most exciting play in football.

 

[NVboiler]

I used to sit next to Jim Garcia in one of our classes and I always remember his tackle on a kickoff return in the mid 1960s, I believe it was against Minnesota, when he threw himself against the runner's lead three blockers which were in a row ahead of him and took them all down as well as the runner. They had to carry him off the field, but he soon returned. It's my most memorable Purdue play. I thought he would have had a better pro career.