You may have seen recently that the kick-off rules have been changed.

The gist if that if the receiving team calls for a fair catch inside the 25 then it will be ruled as a touchback and the ball will be brought out to the 25.

Here is some commentary from Cecil Hurt on the issue.

What say you?

(04-18-2018 04:58 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  You may have seen recently that the kick-off rules have been changed.

The gist if that if the receiving team calls for a fair catch inside the 25 then it will be ruled as a touchback and the ball will be brought out to the 25.

Here is some commentary from Cecil Hurt on the issue.

What say you?

Don't most returners stand at the 10 and if it's in front of them, they run it, if it's behind them they let it go?

If so this shouldn't change that much except more frequent fair catches.

The college game is a shell of what it used to be. Football is shooting itself in the foot with rules changes. It's starting to become NASCAR or NBA basketball with situational rules that have altered the sport. The death spiral continues.

(04-18-2018 06:18 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  

(04-18-2018 04:58 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  You may have seen recently that the kick-off rules have been changed.

The gist if that if the receiving team calls for a fair catch inside the 25 then it will be ruled as a touchback and the ball will be brought out to the 25.

Here is some commentary from Cecil Hurt on the issue.

What say you?

Don't most returners stand at the 10 and if it's in front of them, they run it, if it's behind them they let it go?

If so this shouldn't change that much except more frequent fair catches.

I believe you are thinking of punts. You can't ever let a kickoff go since it's a live ball once it goes 10 yards.

I think this rule will reduce injury, but it will also bring the squib kick into favor in college football.

Still, it's a half-measure. If they really want to fix it, why not eliminate kickoffs altogether... put the kicking team in a 4th and 10 situation where they can either punt (not a live ball) or go for it (instead of onside kick)?

(04-18-2018 08:06 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(04-18-2018 06:18 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  

(04-18-2018 04:58 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  You may have seen recently that the kick-off rules have been changed.

The gist if that if the receiving team calls for a fair catch inside the 25 then it will be ruled as a touchback and the ball will be brought out to the 25.

Here is some commentary from Cecil Hurt on the issue.

What say you?

Don't most returners stand at the 10 and if it's in front of them, they run it, if it's behind them they let it go?

If so this shouldn't change that much except more frequent fair catches.

I believe you are thinking of punts. You can't ever let a kickoff go since it's a live ball once it goes 10 yards.

I think this rule will reduce injury, but it will also bring the squib kick into favor in college football.

Still, it's a half-measure. If they really want to fix it, why not eliminate kickoffs altogether... put the kicking team in a 4th and 10 situation where they can either punt (not a live ball) or go for it (instead of onside kick)?

I actually agree with Saban on this one. Just move the kickoff line back to the 40 yard line. With the development of kickers that means that about 90% of kickoffs will result in touchbacks. They should leave all other field position stuff alone. We only have this problem because they moved the kickoff back to the 35 to create more excitement (and that was their reason some 30 years ago). The last thing the game needs is more eggheads deciding how to play a game they've never played.

And I agree with X on this one. The more the NFL screwed up the rules the less I watched. I still despise the designated hitter in MLB. I think that was the beginning of the downfall of a sport where until that time the vast majority of records could avoid an *.