Kickoff Touchback Rule

[DarthMonk]

As we all know, a touchback on a kickoff came out to the 20 yard line for years. Now it comes out to the 25 yard line.

Imagine if the new rule brought it out to the 5 yard line. What would every kicking team always do? They would blast away and try to get a touchback.

Now imagine if the new rule brought it out to the 40 yard line. What would every kicking team always do? They would pop it up and force a return.

It should now be very clear that moving out from the 20 encourages more returns and moving in toward the goal line encourages more touchbacks.

This is so obvious, I can only draw one of two conclusions:

1 The "more safety" justification of the rule is a complete sham and the league actually wanted more retruns.

2 The competition committee is composed of idiots.

Week 1 touchbacks are down from last year - 68.9% to 61.8%.

[Deadskins]

As we all know, a touchback on a kickoff came out to the 20 yard line for years. Now it comes out to the 25 yard line.

Imagine if the new rule brought it out to the 5 yard line. What would every kicking team always do? They would blast away and try to get a touchback.

Now imagine if the new rule brought it out to the 40 yard line. What would every kicking team always do? They would pop it up and force a return.

It should now be very clear that moving out from the 20 encourages more returns and moving in toward the goal line encourages more touchbacks.

This is so obvious, I can only draw one of two conclusions:

1 The "more safety" justification of the rule is a complete sham and the league actually wanted more retruns.

2 The competition committee is composed of idiots.

Week 1 touchbacks are down from last year - 68.9% to 61.8%.

It's an interesting argument that I hadn't considered. But I think their thought was that by giving the extra 5 yards, teams would be less likely to run one back out of the end-zone. They already moved the kicking spot up five yards, so that most kickers can at least reach the end-zone. Seems to me that they only considered the returning team's point of view, and not the kicking team's strategy of limiting field position.

[Burgundy&GoldForever]

It seems to me they're just screwing with long-standing special teams rules for no valid reason. This 33 yard extra point BS is a case-in-point example.

If they want to make the game more exciting, eliminate the punt.

[Deadskins]

It seems to me they're just screwing with long-standing special teams rules for no valid reason. This 33 yard extra point BS is a case-in-point example.

If they want to make the game more exciting, eliminate the punt.

Wow, that would certainly shake things up. Scoring would go through the roof. BTW, I hate the new PAT rule too.

[DEHog]

I would eliminate the extra point kick. I would place the ball at the 3, if a team runs it in they get 2, if they throw they get 1.

[DarthMonk]

I would eliminate the extra point kick. I would place the ball at the 3, if a team runs it in they get 2, if they throw they get 1.

I would have left the PAT alone but given the defensive specials 1 for blocking it and running it back all the way and 2 if the offensive special went for 2 but the defensive specials turned them over and took it all the way.

[Burgundy&GoldForever]

If they were serious about player safety they would have eliminated the kickoff and just place the ball at the 25 following any score. The truth is they really couldn't care less except from a financial perspective.