NFL Approves New Kickoff Rule

[SHOWTIME]

����������������: The #NFL has approved the new kickoff rule change, per @jjones9

Owners voted in favor of it 29-3. pic.twitter.com/fhlNNT25q1

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) March 26, 2024

New NFL kickoffs will look like this. pic.twitter.com/1fl16KSi4E

— Adam Schelfer (@AdamSche1fer) March 26, 2024

[RINGLEADER]

How funny would it be on opening day on the first kickoffs to start the games we had 4-5 of them go for touchdowns?

Or what if the first three kickoffs in a game all go for touchdowns one after the other?

At what point does “an exciting rule change” become a problem?

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by RINGLEADER

Sorry, no thanks.

I’m a football lifer.

I hope you’re right, but it will not be a good look when teams hold an opponent to 120 yards of offense and lose 21-20 because three returns that would never have happened any other season.

And yes I get that you have to stop the other team. And they may find it actually reduces injuries. But I still don’t like it.

Sure, but how is that any different than losing a game because:

-The offense fumbles the ball out of bounds through the end zone on the 1 inch line
-A key turnover is negated because a player who made no impact on the play was lined up 3" too far forward
-A key catch is overturned because the tip of the ball hit the ground and the ball wiggled a smidge as a result
-A team is awarded a 60-yard gain on a catch because the defender touched the receiver 10 milliseconds too early
-A team is given a first down because the defender hit a player 10 milliseconds after the runner's foot hits out of bounds
-A team is given a free first down because a pass rusher's finger grazes the face of the QB

You could come up with a dozen other examples without even having to think very hard. The entire game is all made-up bullshit. The bullshit creates drama and discussion, which creates more interest. It's literally why the NFL is so popular compared other sports.

Does this kickoff rule seem contrived and weird? Yep. But do I think anyone will think much of it in 5 years? Nah. It's just the continued evolution of this weird "sport" that we love.

[DaFace]

I mean, think about it, why does football even have kickers? It's a game of 11 on 11...except for the fact that the higher-scoring player on most teams is a guy who couldn't play any of those 22 positions. The only reason we don't think that's weird is that it's always been that way.

[New World Order]

Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe

New kickoff rule was a trip to watch for first time. Lower kicks, returners field on a hop or two. Need some shortstop/3b ball skills. Payton: “It’s a completely different play.” Said there will be “double-digit TD returns” in league this year. #9sports

— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) May 11, 2024

Sorry, but I only listen to coaches with more than 1 Super Bowl

[Megatron96]

Not sure I’m gonna be a fan of the new rule, but whatever makes kickoffs more exciting than they have been for the last few years is good. An endless parade of touchbacks every game/week/season just blows.

[displacedinMN]

I am going to have to watch some B league football this summer and see how this works.

[gordonelloyd]

I have been thinking about this a bit more. It has the potential to really make the kicking game a lot more important. Probably not as important as good offence and good defense, but a lot closer in importance than it is now.

Field goals and great field goal kickers are already underrated. Brady would not have won all those Super Bowls if it weren’t for Vinatieri and to a lessor extent Gostkowski. And we have a great advantage here already with Butker and unfortunately, the ravens do too with Tucker.

But now the kick return game will take on much more added significance.

We might also be in a great position here. Toney might even redeem himself. He is undeniably great in the open field. I’m not sure if his big problem in catching the ball ever came in to play for catching kicks like it did for catching passes. But even if it does with the new rule, the team can’t move forward until he touches the ball so he should still have time to recover if he fumbles. Also we could always put somebody close to him with blocking as the primary job, but his secondary job would be too get fumbles if Toney fumbles. Who knows, if he gains his confidence back on the kicking game, it might even help him as a receiver. I think his problem there is more in his head than just having boards for hands.

The only thing that will stop the kicking game from getting increased importance is for kickers that can punch it through the end zone, and we have a great advantage there also.

But I think that advantage will be short-lived. If the NFL doesn’t get the exciting kickoff game it is looking for I think next year they will just make the kicker move back even further so kicking it out of the end zone is very hard to do.

The more I think about this new rule, the more I think I like it, and that it will add excitement to the game. And may not even hurt us against lesser teams as much as I originally worried it would.