New NFL Kickoff Rule Adopted

[Joemailman]

It passed 29-3. Packers were one of 3 teams voting against it.

Kickoffs will remain at the 35-yard line, but the remaining 10 players on the kicking unit will line up at the opposing team's 40-yard line. The receiving team lines up with at least seven players in the "set-up zone," a five-yard area between their own 35- and 30-yard lines, with a maximum of two returners can line up in the landing zone.

After the ball is kicked, the kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line and the 10 kicking team players cannot move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone or goes into the end zone. The receiving team's players in the set-up zone also cannot move until the kick has hit the ground or a player in the landing zone or the end zone. The returner(s) may move at any time before or during the kickoff.

Kickoff scenarios:

Kickoffs that hit the landing zone must be returned.
Kickoffs that hit the landing zone and then go into the end zone must be returned or downed by the receiving team. If downed, the receiving team would get the ball at its own 20-yard line.
Kickoffs that go into the end zone and stay inbounds that are downed would give the receiving team the ball at their own 30-yard line. Kickoffs that go out of the back of the end zone (in the air or bounces) would also be a touchback at the receiving team's 30-yard line.
Kickoffs short of the landing zone would be treated like a kickoff out of bounds, and the receiving team would get the ball at its own 40-yard line.
The legislation also will lead to a tweak in onside kicks, which can only occur in the fourth quarter and onward when a team trails. The kicking team must declare its intent to onside kick.

The new rule is in place only for 2024 and is subject to renewal in 2025.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GJmVgKFXQAAKiWj?format=jpg&name=medium

[MadScientist]

This sounds like some weird video game influenced skills competition instead of an actual sport. Good for the Packers for voting against this mess.

[MadtownPacker]

Proud the Pack is one of the 3. This is some confusing bullshit. Who are the other two teams that love football?

Also wonder what is the penalty for stepping out of your kickoff area?

[George Cumby]

Proud the Pack is one of the 3. This is some confusing bullshit. Who are the other two teams that love football?

Also wonder what is the penalty for stepping out of your kickoff area?

Raiders and Niners.

[MadtownPacker]

Raiders and Niners.Raiders I figured. Thought Bears might be the other. Guess with all the WRa they signed they want to help them out. :lol:

[Joemailman]

I don't think it's that complicated. People will catch on pretty quickly. The main thing not explained is what happens if a kick goes out of bounds within the landing zone.

[Patler]

so Kiesan Nixon gets a 20 yard free run headstart if receiving a kick on the fly? I suspect all he will see is squib kicks.

There will be a lot of experimentation by kicking teams on where and how to kick, and maybe even some rethinking about the types of blockers receiving teams will use.

[sharpe1027]

Just get rid of the kickoff already.

[red]

well, that complicates the shit out of a kickoff

they need to start making the game LESS complicated, not more

[red]

Just get rid of the kickoff already.

it will be soon enough

nfl needs to look at what happened to nascar. they added all kinds of weird shit to races. the redneck base wasn't smart enough to figure it out anymore, so now the sport is almost dead

nfl is starting to move into that territory imo

[pittstang5]

I listened to NFL radio today and got even more confused when they were trying to explain it.

With the figures posted by JoeMailman, now I understand. It'll be interesting to see it in Pre-season.

[MadScientist]

I listened to NFL radio today and got even more confused when they were trying to explain it.

With the figures posted by JoeMailman, now I understand. It'll be interesting to see it in Pre-season.

They will be describing this rule in every pre-game show for the entire season. By then everyone will finally understand, just in time for the NFL to shit-can the rule.

[Ratatouille]

Sounds like the rules to Calvinball...

"Rules cannot be used twice (except for the rule that rules cannot be used twice), and any plays made in one game may not be made again in any future games. The game may involve wickets, mallets, volleyballs, and additional sports-related equipment."

[texaspackerbacker]

The way I read this, I don't expect much of a difference. An endzone kick puts it on the 30 instead of the 25 - BFD there. Most of the kicks will look like kickoffs with the old rule. The only difference is the D goes from a standing start 25 yards closer than before with a running start. I'm not a big fan of safety crap, but it seems like they've achieved it here without substantially changing the end result or the way the kick return is gonna look.

It didn't say above whether the two returning team players in the 20-30 yardline area can't move. Assuming they can, you've got Keisan and basically three lead blockers to blast a hole in a fairly thin line of defenders since the kicking team will be spread across the whole field and not able to converge until the ball is caught. We might see some big returns. We might also see some teams use RB1s returning kicks.

[George Cumby]

Sounds like the rules to Calvinball...

"Rules cannot be used twice (except for the rule that rules cannot be used twice), and any plays made in one game may not be made again in any future games. The game may involve wickets, mallets, volleyballs, and additional sports-related equipment."

I would pay good money to watch real Calvinball.

[King Friday]

This is far superior to the prior scheme of kickoffs where 80% of them were touchbacks. This format incentivizes returning from the receiving team and not kicking inside the end zone for the kicking team.

[beveaux1]

What happens on an on-side kick?

[MadtownPacker]

What happens on an on-side kick?
You can’t be sneaky.

[Fosco33]

Proud the Pack is one of the 3. This is some confusing bullshit. Who are the other two teams that love football?

Also wonder what is the penalty for stepping out of your kickoff area?

It’s only because we overpaid a kick return specialist…. I said that was a dumb move when it occurred. Oh well.

I like the change but we’ll need clarity on onside rules

[SudsMcBucky]

The more I listen and see from the XFL how this will look, the better it's getting. When I FIRST heard this, I thought, "oh shit, this is fucking stupid." However, this is actually seeming to start make sense.

[George Cumby]

I'm in favor of it. Kick-offs as they are now add little to the game.

The point is to be entertained by the game. The added entropy/chaos will add value, IMO.

[Fosco33]

You can’t be sneaky.

Did the xfl have something like a new 4th/15 from your own 30 or something like that?

I bet the Lions would do that a lot.

Seems like the nfl is just going to make people announce it and only in 4th q when you’re behind.

That part of the rule seems kinda lame

[MadtownPacker]

Did the xfl have something like a new 4th/15 from your own 30 or something like that?

I bet the Lions would do that a lot.

Seems like the nfl is just going to make people announce it and only in 4th q when you’re behind.

That part of the rule seems kinda lameI can’t remember. Just recall two players had to wrestle just to decide the first possession. Instead of coin flip right? It was crazy but at least it was geared towards more action not some safe play bs.

[MadScientist]

The punt idea was geared towards something safer than a kickoff, with the odds of going for it similar to those for an onside kickoff. The play would still be somewhat similar to a kickoff and familiar to anyone who knows football. This new play is just weird. One year should be more than enough to get rid of it.

[QBME]

I’ve kinda studied it and believe I’ve got a grasp.
Looking around the thing I can’t find is, on a declared onside kick, from where is the ball kicked?

Only other thing is the kicker will need to have a bit of free safety in him. If the returner breaks the initial scrum, the kicker is the last line of defense. Unless one of the forward players drops back??

This could actually be fun.

[Fritz]

I’ve kinda studied it and believe I’ve got a grasp.
Looking around the thing I can’t find is, on a declared onside kick, from where is the ball kicked?

Only other thing is the kicker will need to have a bit of free safety in him. If the returner breaks the initial scrum, the kicker is the last line of defense. Unless one of the forward players drops back??

This could actually be fun.

The kicker as a tackler?

Hmm. That sounds dangerous. Kickers are not used to tackling. We'll have to add subsection 3-0012 to rule 442A, declaring that, in the event the returner breaks past the first line of defense post-thirty-five yard line, he can only advance the ball at a forty-five degree angle when the kicker approaches to make the tackle. Stiff-arming by the returner is illegal, and once the kicker touches, with both hands, simultaneously, the area between the returner's shoulders and knees, the returner is declared down and the play dead.

[sharpe1027]

The kicker as a tackler?

Hmm. That sounds dangerous. Kickers are not used to tackling. We'll have to add subsection 3-0012 to rule 442A, declaring that, in the event the returner breaks past the first line of defense post-thirty-five yard line, he can only advance the ball at a forty-five degree angle when the kicker approaches to make the tackle. Stiff-arming by the returner is illegal, and once the kicker touches, with both hands, simultaneously, the area between the returner's shoulders and knees, the returner is declared down and the play dead.

Unnecessary protection. Kickers aren't people.

[ThunderDan]

Well, I was flipping the channels today and a UFL game was on. One team was on the 8 and about to score, so I thought I would watch them score so I could watch a kickoff.

What a cluster fuck. The team scores a TD and apparently you can go for 1,2 or 3 points after a TD. But after the TD one of the O players spit on another player. So it’s a 15 yard penalty. Also. It looked like the RT moved early but wasn’t called. In the UFL you can throw a challenge flag on that. So the D challenged the false start and won. So it is now 2nd and goal at the 28 after the two penalties.

During the whole challenge they pipe the audio of the ref talking to the replay official while the announcer were still talking. And the announcers are trying to ask the replay official questions while he is trying to rule on the challenge. Total mess.

Anyway, they get everything sorted out and the ball slips out of the QBs hand. He picks it up and gets crushed as he throws the ball to the WR. The DB who hits him stand over him and gets a taunting penalty.

It was about 5 minutes of real time and they have run two plays. I couldn’t take any more and I didn’t see a score and a kickoff.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Well, I was flipping the channels today and a UFL game was on. One team was on the 8 and about to score, so I thought I would watch them score so I could watch a kickoff.

What a cluster fuck. The team scores a TD and apparently you can go for 1,2 or 3 points after a TD. But after the TD one of the O players spit on another player. So it’s a 15 yard penalty. Also. It looked like the RT moved early but wasn’t called. In the UFL you can throw a challenge flag on that. So the D challenged the false start and won. So it is now 2nd and goal at the 28 after the two penalties.

During the whole challenge they pipe the audio of the ref talking to the replay official while the announcer were still talking. And the announcers are trying to ask the replay official questions while he is trying to rule on the challenge. Total mess.

Anyway, they get everything sorted out and the ball slips out of the QBs hand. He picks it up and gets crushed as he throws the ball to the WR. The DB who hits him stand over him and gets a taunting penalty.

It was about 5 minutes of real time and they have run two plays. I couldn’t take any more and I didn’t see a score and a kickoff.

You didn’t miss anything.

The UFL opted not to implement the XFL’s visionary/revolutionary, Seth Freaking Rollins-style kickoff format - the same format the NFL is currently plagiarizing. Instead, the UFL kicks off from the kicking team’s 20 while using “traditional” coverages.

As an aside, who y’all rooting for at Wrestlemania 40, Tribal Chief or American Nightmare?

[Fritz]

I'm in favor of it. Kick-offs as they are now add little to the game.

The point is to be entertained by the game. The added entropy/chaos will add value, IMO.

Agree something has to be done, but adding a new format that is complicated to understand and in need of heavy scrutiny for the million possible violations doesn't sound like the answer.

Why not kick off from your own thirty-five but have the kicking team line up at the opponent's thirty, with the returning team lined up at their own twenty? All kicks must be returned. That reduces the distance between blockers and would-be tacklers, reducing the violence of the collisions. Also, starting from the opponents' thirty with blockers only ten yards away reduces the speed potential tacklers can attain.

Seems simple enough, and workable.

[sharpe1027]

The fact that we have to come up with all these weird solutions just makes me more certain the answer is just to give up on the kickoff. You don't need onside kicks. Teams will adjust. Or you can allow a team to designate they will be trying for an onside kick. Don't let them kick deep in that situation.

[Fritz]

I think, to add some excitement, before the kickoff the ref who's in charge should be miked up and half to ask the kicking team this phrase: "Onside kick or balls deep?"