A sign of the times: NFL considering eliminating kick offs

[Onkel Neal]

I understand that player safety should be maximized where possible, but wth? :o No kickoffs? Why not just change over to flag football.:nope:

Do you think this could really come about? I hope not. They already screwed up kickoffs by moving the line forward to where 2/3s of KOs are out of the end zone.

And don't get me started about the stupid overtime changes they made :/\\!!

[magic452]

Not ganna happen, that would eliminate the 30 second football break between five minute commercial breaks. :D Not good for sponsors. "You pay the piper, you call the tune."

Magic

[u crank]

Professional sports are could be getting scared of serious injuries that result in lawsuits. In football I could think of a lot of other areas to protect players other than kick-offs. Seriously. It's one of the more exciting and unpredictable parts of the game.

In other sports there are changes that should be made. The icing rule in hockey for example. In all but the upper pro leagues, NHL, AHL, the 'no touch rule' is used. Puck crosses line, whistle blows. In the pro leagues the first person to reach puck decides whether there's a whistle. This has resulted in some horrendous career ending injuries and in one case a death because of a spinal-cord injury. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lud%C4%9Bk_%C4%8Cajka

It's a disaster waiting to happen.

Then there's full contact Scrabble. Bring your A game or stay home. :O:

[Takeda Shingen]

Seems silly to me. While it is true that special teams play is the most chaotic and, arguably, the most potentialy dangerous, the majority of head and spinal injuries, which seem to be the focus of new league regulations, occur during regular series play. They already have new rules to protect the quarterback and have eliminated helmet-to-helmet hits, all of which I am fine with. However, if they are going to go this way they might as well eliminate tackling, and that would simply change what the game is.

Personally, I doubt that the kickoff will be eliminated. In the wake of the tragic events in Kansas City, in which some have speculated that head injuries may have played a role, I think the league simply wants to be seen as doing 'something' as opposed to being a laissez faire NBA-style organization.

[Platapus]

Perhaps if the players were not armoured, the players would not hit so hard.

It is not like this has not happened before

http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/topics/football1.html

[GoldenRivet]

why not just have every new kickoff start on the 20 yard line

[Spoon 11th]

This will lead to sarcastaball.

[GoldenRivet]

really though i see the NFLs concern... players running head long toward one another has resulted in some pretty nasty injuries in the past so they are trying to eliminate or at least address some of the activities leading to the more serious injuries in the game.

The kick off and it's subsequent return being one of the major issues.

So just change the rule so that the team which wins the coin toss can chose defense or offense.

the referee then spots the ball on the 20 yard line and we're off to first and ten. each new kickoff then would follow the same logic except for punts and safety kicks which would be still booted down field the old fashioned way.

really i dont see the problem with that. especially if it spares someone a concussion or other injury.

[clive bradbury]

Following that logic, abandon the 1st and 10 as well, as that can also be dangerous...where next - prevent injuries altogether by just deciding the result on a coin toss?

It is a contact sport, after all. I follow the NFL, but am a rugby union man at heart. Take a look at a union kick-off/restart - no pads, and several players leap in the air to attempt to recover the ball - some of the falls make me cringe (look at line-outs as well, with men jumping 6' or more) - but it is a man's game...

I'm all for player safety, within reason, but any contact sport involves risks that every player is aware of. Is this primarily a financial move by the teams?

And take a look at some of the tackles...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cma8VGf6abw

I don't know about the NFL, but in union a safety survey concluded that the majority of injuries occur as a result of a tackle - so should the NFL eliminate the tackle as well?

[GoldenRivet]

I don't support getting rid of kickoffs... But if they do i think that's how they would do it

[clive bradbury]

Excessive risk in contact sports should be controlled by the rules, rather than eliminating a key part of the game. Scrums in union, for example, tend to lead to neck injuries. So there is a rule that players in a scrum must setup in the horizontal plane (as opposed to heads down), which reduces the risk of collapsed scrums where neck injuries occur.

There is surely no reason why certain safety rules cannot be applied to NFL kick-offs without removing that aspect of the game. Maybe I don't watch enough NFL, but in my experience I don't see the KO as being excessively risky anyway. Most serious injuries I see tend to be where the situation is confused, such as on the offensive line, where players cannot see what is happening behind them, and another player falls onto their legs from behind, for example.

[August]

It's all a plot by Soccer fanatics to kill our beloved Football game. :/\\!!

[clive bradbury]

It's all a plot by Soccer fanatics to kill our beloved Football game. :/\\!!

DON'T start me off on soccer, August. I despise everything about the game. Synchronised swimming is more exciting (and dangerous)...

[Stealhead]

Real men play rugby I got hit so hard once in an Army/Air Force game in Germany that I could not hear from one ear for a day.The best teams where Army and the Air Force squadrons that where either Security forces or mechanics the other AF teams where wimps.

[Takeda Shingen]

Excessive risk in contact sports should be controlled by the rules, rather than eliminating a key part of the game. Scrums in union, for example, tend to lead to neck injuries. So there is a rule that players in a scrum must setup in the horizontal plane (as opposed to heads down), which reduces the risk of collapsed scrums where neck injuries occur.

There is surely no reason why certain safety rules cannot be applied to NFL kick-offs without removing that aspect of the game. Maybe I don't watch enough NFL, but in my experience I don't see the KO as being excessively risky anyway. Most serious injuries I see tend to be where the situation is confused, such as on the offensive line, where players cannot see what is happening behind them, and another player falls onto their legs from behind, for example.

That's a good point and something that I alluded to earlier. I will concede that kickoffs are potentially dangerous, with everyone lining up 60 yards away from each other and then sprinting at the other team as fast as they can. So, eliminating those will remove that potential danger. What about the other 55 minutes of play, where most of the injuries occur?

A lot of the criticism that has been leveled at the sport has been regarding long-term effects such as dementia and various neurological problems. Much of this is from play on or around the line of scrimmage. RBs gain in yards by putting their head down and ramming through. Do that 30 plays a game, 16 games per season for 10 seasons and, yeah, you're going to end your career being pretty messed up. And yes, that is how the game is played, but it is a problem. Eliminating kickoffs does not solve that problem.

[BossMark]

Might seem a silly question but if you don't "kick off" how hell do you start the game????

[eddie]

I don't think the NFL has thought that far ahead yet,lol Stupid idea I think.

[GoldenRivet]

Might seem a silly question but if you don't "kick off" how hell do you start the game????

As i said they would have to spot the ball on the twenty yard line and start the clock at the snap.

dumb yes... but knowing the NFL...

[Stealhead]

This idea has a lot to do with the NFL Players Union they feel that kick off is one of the points in a game where the highest number of injuries including head injuries occur an issue that many former players agree with.

They want to punt from the 30 yard line with most of the players on the field at the line of scrimmage the punter punts the ball and the other teams receiver is waiting to catch the ball.Of course with this set up it is not very likely that the receiver will be able to make a return which is one of the most exciting parts of the game.

[RickC Sniper]

I think a punt is more dangerous to the guy catching the ball than the kickoff. What next? Fair catch the punt only?

This is a knee jerk reaction to recent events. Hopefully the idea will fade away.

[eddie]

They should do away with the cut blocks, more guys on the defensive side of the ball suffer knee injuries.

[mookiemookie]

I think a well-executed cut block is fine and perfectly safe and has been for years, but I'd like to see harder enforcement on chop blocks and clipping. That's the stuff that really hurts guys.

[Stealhead]

I was watching an episode of HBOs Real Sports and they had a segment about
college football and long term injuries.I was surprised to learn that college players get nothing long term so if they have problems latter in life they are on their own.They also average 1,000 hits per season including practices (which can be much rougher than games).

In the NFL the average player gets easily half as many hits per season of course the Players Union collectively bargained for that ratio they only have one full contact practice in the NFL a week.Of course an NFL player has benefits for life so if he suffers something long term he is covered.

It is an interesting issue in last decade we have learned much about head injuries that was not known before.I am sure that there are better ways to solve these issues.Some of this kick off thing is in reaction with the Kansas City Chiefs player as Rick Sniper said.

[eddie]

I think a well-executed cut block is fine and perfectly safe and has been for years, but I'd like to see harder enforcement on chop blocks and clipping. That's the stuff that really hurts guys.

You're right mookie, I mean't chop blocks.

[vienna]

I don't think this is a very good idea. What I would really like to see is the elimination of the ability to win a game with a field goal. It is very frustrating to see some team just dither away the clock and inch down the field to a position close to the end zone with the intent to just kick for the score at the end of a close game. Field goals are the most high percentage success option in the game. I say make the teams earn the points with either a pass play or a running play. Don't just hand the game to the team who opts for the safest option. A field goal attempt should be allowed if the intent is to tie the game and force overtime. Otherwise, man up and prove you deserve the points...

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[Onkel Neal]

I think a punt is more dangerous to the guy catching the ball than the kickoff. What next? Fair catch the punt only?

This is a knee jerk reaction to recent events. Hopefully the idea will fade away.

Yeah, punts, then long passes....I know there is risk in the sport, but I cannot see it retaining its appeal if they neuter it.

[Onkel Neal]

I don't think this is a very good idea. What I would really like to see is the elimination of the ability to win a game with a field goal. It is very frustrating to see some team just dither away the clock and inch down the field to a position close to the end zone with the intent to just kick for the score at the end of a close game. Field goals are the most high percentage success option in the game. I say make the teams earn the points with either a pass play or a running play. Don't just hand the game to the team who opts for the safest option. A field goal attempt should be allowed if the intent is to tie the game and force overtime. Otherwise, man up and prove you deserve the points...

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No, I like the field goal option, it's traditional, and if the defense does its job, there will be no field goal. Defense: do your job!

Also, if it takes 3 points for a team to win, and they play it safe and dither around to try a FG; if they miss, then bam--they'll lose. It's still not a sure thing, and there will always be pressure on the kicker that can cause him to miss. I've seen it a bunch this season.

Now, if you wanna argue that FG kickers are 200% more accurate than 25 years ago, I will agree to handicapping them by making a team move back 5 yards to kick a FG, something like that.

[vienna]

No, I like the field goal option, it's traditional, and if the defense does its job, there will be no field goal. Defense: do your job!

Also, if it takes 3 points for a team to win, and they play it safe and dither around to try a FG; if they miss, then bam--they'll lose. It's still not a sure thing, and there will always be pressure on the kicker that can cause him to miss. I've seen it a bunch this season.

Now, if you wanna argue that FG kickers are 200% more accurate than 25 years ago, I will agree to handicapping them by making a team move back 5 yards to kick a FG, something like that.


I still don't like seeing a game end on a relatively easy kick. When was the last time you saw a game-winning field goal attempt successfully defende against? Field goals are about the most "no fail" palys in the whole game. There was a time several years back when the NY Giants seemed to specialize in eating the clock during the games, keeping the score close and the just kicking to win. There would be much better "drama" watching a team scratch and claw for a win than just having everyboy line up to watch the ball go through the uprights.

As far as handicapping the kickers by adding yardage, the team would simply try to get closer get closer on the play(s) preceeding the kick attempt.

Maybe if they required them to kick from the 45-yard line...

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[RickC Sniper]

Field goals are a reward (3 points) for successfully working the ball down the field for 60-70 yards. OK, your drive stalled on the 15 but you got something out of it, and you earned it.

A good defense is a team who keeps the offense from getting the 7 points for the touchdown and extra point, and FORCING them to settle for a 3 point field goal instead.

Try a 55 yard field goal when the longest your kicker has made all year is a 51 yarder? Punt instead? Go for the first down when it is 4th and 2? DECISIONS!!! It adds tactics to the game. It makes a coach look stupid or brilliant!

Besides, no field goal is automatic. Lots of things can and do go wrong.

[Stealhead]

Unless you have a really good kicker like Janikowski he is not the only one there are a handful of really good kickers in the NFL that usually make it.

[vienna]

Also, just how fair is it to the players of both teams, offense and defense to have played all those downs and taken a steady beating to have the fate of the game come down to a guy who has spent almost the entire game standing or sitting on the sidelines, sipping his Gatorade, maybe going over his Twitter account, who comes out in his nice clean uniform, has the entire rest of the team on the field protecting him, and then just kicks one over the bar? I tend to agrre with John Madden's take on pro players: you really haven't bben in the game unless there are mud and grass stains, mabe a little blood, on your uniform. It's akin to fighting a battle in war, taken the brutal brunt of the action and then having the company cook come out from the mess tent and fire the final shot to win the war. I say give the guys who did the work the chance and dignity of making the winning score...

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[Stealhead]

It is team though you work together and you get the score the best way possible if the kicker gets the score it was his team mates that got the ball to that point.

[RickC Sniper]

Unless you have a really good kicker like Janikowski he is not the only one there are a handful of really good kickers in the NFL that usually make it.

Sure! He is one of the more accurate kickers. But for his career he has made 80%. Meaning he has missed 20%.

Nothing is certain.

[vienna]

Sure! He is one of the more accurate kickers. But for his career he has made 80%. Meaning he has missed 20%.



Is that 80% game-winning or potentially game-winng kicks or 80% of all kicks in all games? I would be interested in seeing percentage stats for game deciding kicks, not just for him but for all kickers... :hmm2:


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