Rule Changes Ideas

[Mormon Red Death]

Rutgers Head Coach proposes eliminating kickoffs in favor of 4th and 15 from your 30 yard line.

He knows he is battling a century of football tradition. It is amazing how much people perceive the kickoff as the most exciting play in the sport, when in reality, it’s simply not true. Most kickoffs are routine, a player running into a moving wall of flesh and helmets long before he can ignite the crowd.

Everyone, however, agrees kickoffs are the most dangerous play in the sport. The NFL recognized this with its decision to move the spot of the kick five yards back to the 35-yard line, ensuring more touchbacks and fewer injuries. Schiano is stunned that the college game hasn’t followed its lead.

[old_gregg]

How will drew phillips retroactively save the world from the holocaust and heal dying puppies in Sudan without a kickoff though?

[Mormon Red Death]

How will drew phillips retroactively save the world from the holocaust and heal dying puppies in Sudan without a kickoff though?

he can do it returning punts

[Joe Public]

From the article:

It is amazing how much people perceive the kickoff as the most exciting play in the sport, when in reality, it’s simply not true. Most kickoffs are routine, a player running into a moving wall of flesh and helmets long before he can ignite the crowd.

I guess the author knows what excites fans better than fans know what excites fans.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Rutgers Head Coach proposes eliminating kickoffs in favor of 4th and 15 from your 30 yard line.

So you would trade a kick-off for a punt? Or possibly the chance to keep the ball after you score? That sounds like an awful idea. If you want to do away with kick offs just give the other team the ball at the 20 as if it were a touch back.

[DapperDan]

From the article:

I guess the author knows what excites fans better than fans know what excites fans.

Your standard return to the 20 is boring. Long returns and short returns are exciting, but rare.

I'm not sure I like his solution, but I'm not opposed to the idea of figuring out something to replace the kickoff.

[Mormon Red Death]

So you would trade a kick-off for a punt? Or possibly the chance to keep the ball after you score? That sounds like an awful idea. If you want to do away with kick offs just give the other team the ball at the 20 as if it were a touch back.

or change the out of bounds rule to have the ball placed at the 25.

[Joe Public]

Your standard return to the 20 is boring. Long returns and short returns are exciting, but rare.

I'm not sure I like his solution, but I'm not opposed to the idea of figuring out something to replace the kickoff.

The possibility of the long return or the turnover is part of what makes kickoffs exciting for some people. I don't think how fans feel about them is as universal and as objectively measured as the author implies.

[Joe Public]

So you would trade a kick-off for a punt? Or possibly the chance to keep the ball after you score? That sounds like an awful idea. If you want to do away with kick offs just give the other team the ball at the 20 as if it were a touch back.

I thought about that, too. I think his plan tries to retain the ability to keep possession of the ball (like with an onside kick) and the possibility of a turnover.

[Sizzle]

So you would trade a kick-off for a punt? Or possibly the chance to keep the ball after you score? That sounds like an awful idea. If you want to do away with kick offs just give the other team the ball at the 20 as if it were a touch back.

That is why he sets it up as a 4th and 15 from the 30. If you pick up the 15 yards for a first, you can retain the ball. If you don't, the other team gets the ball where you get stopped.

I love football as it is, but if you're looking at replacing kickoffs, this really isn't a horrible option. I like it better than just giving the other team the ball at the 20.

[OrangeUte]

Seems to me that punts are just as dangerous or even more so than kickoffs.

[Mormon Red Death]

Seems to me that punts are just as dangerous or even more so than kickoffs.

You can kick out of bounds on punts. You also don't have opposing players colliding after running 50 yards in each direction against each other. There also isnt a need for a wedge breaker.

[Surfah]

James Harrison is right.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

You can kick out of bounds on punts. You also don't have opposing players colliding after running 50 yards in each direction against each other. There also isnt a need for a wedge breaker.

So change the rule so luckless can go out of bounds and awarded at the spot to the 20, then if it goes out behind the 20 it gets seeded at the 20.

Sizz I totally disagree, 4th and 15 in college is not like the NFL it is a makable play. Especially if a team just scored to make the game close and ha the momentum, one team playing all excited and amped the other playing scared an on their heels. I see that being a play made a lot in 4th quarters.

[doctorcoug]

So change the rule so luckless can go out of bounds and awarded at the spot to the 20, then if it goes out behind the 20 it gets seeded at the 20.

Sizz I totally disagree, 4th and 15 in college is not like the NFL it is a makable play. Especially if a team just scored to make the game close and ha the momentum, one team playing all excited and amped the other playing scared an on their heels. I see that being a play made a lot in 4th quarters.

And teams like Boise State winning by100 points