NFL (2020-2024)

[jeffandnicole]

...Also, no 'onside' kickoffs?...

Mike

Only permitted in the 4th quarter.  Only permitted by the team losing at the time.  Onside kickoffs must be announced.

Unless some of the other changes, I never knew onsides kicks to have an injury component to them.  Changes seem unnecessary here.

[mgk920]

...Also, no 'onside' kickoffs?...

Mike

Only permitted in the 4th quarter.  Only permitted by the team losing at the time.  Onside kickoffs must be announced.

Unless some of the other changes, I never knew onsides kicks to have an injury component to them.  Changes seem unnecessary here.

Man, I still remember a few decades ago when the Packers pulled off an onside kickoff to start the second half of a game.

Mike

[74/171FAN]

...Also, no 'onside' kickoffs?...

Mike

Only permitted in the 4th quarter.  Only permitted by the team losing at the time.  Onside kickoffs must be announced.

Unless some of the other changes, I never knew onsides kicks to have an injury component to them.  Changes seem unnecessary here.

Man, I still remember a few decades ago when the Packers pulled off an onside kickoff to start the second half of a game.

Mike

The Saints did an onside kick against the Colts to start the 2nd half in Super Bowl 44.

[Big John]

Interesting.  And if the ball lands outside of those limits (like in the end zone)?  Also, no 'onside' kickoffs?   That safety that was scored on a kickoff in a game the past weekend?

Mike

The onsides kick is still allowed under the old rules with more restrictions.  Main one being it has to be declared ahead of time to allow the old formation for it.

An unsecured kickoff that lands in the end zone (not one that lands in the landing zone and moves to the end zone) goes to the 30. Other kicks landing outside the landing zone go to the 40. This is the modification to the very punitive XFL rule where all kicks outside the landing zone were placed on the kicking team's 45.

[NWI_Irish96]

What exactly are they doing with kickoffs now?

Mike

XFL rule last year with a few modifications. Kickoff still from 35 yard line, rest of team lines up at opponents 40 yard line. Return player free to go where he wants. Rest of return team lines up at own 35 yard line. Kick must go to the landing zone in bounds between the goal line and own 20 yard line of ball placed in a yard line based on where it landed outside the landing zone. Lined up players may not move until the receiving player touches the ball.

Kickoffs have been the highest source of serious injury in football. The first change was to ban wedge blocking on returns. That helped some, but still a lot of injuries, so the kickoff got moved up to the 35 to create more touchbacks, but that started making the kickoff a mostly trivial play.

The new setup is designed to maximize the excitement of kickoff returns under a formation that minimizes injury.

We're going to see pretty standard kicks and returns during the preseason, but I guarantee teams are already working out how to exploit the new formation beginning Week 1.

[mgk920]

I do agree that this will make kickoffs more interesting.  Also, no more trying to boom the ball into the stands beyond the end zone or through the uprights. 

Thanx.

Mike

[jeffandnicole]

Man, I still remember a few decades ago when the Packers pulled off an onside kickoff to start the second half of a game.

Mike

In 2000, the Eagles kicked an onsides kick to start the season.  Against Dallas.  In Dallas. 

https://youtu.be/w9tjoKHotXI?si=QgK7J6TSg19u82JN (Skip ahead to 1:10.  Also, damn the video quality back in the day!)

Dallas never recovered - the ball or the season. They ended 5-11 for the year.

[SEWIGuy]

I do agree that this will make kickoffs more interesting.  Also, no more trying to boom the ball into the stands beyond the end zone or through the uprights. 

I actually think you are going to see a lot of teams bang it out of the end zone and have their opponent start on the 30. Since the kicking team can't move off the 40 until its either touched or it lands in the landing zone, the risk of a return going past the 30 is too high.

Alternatively, the kicking team may do a hard squib kick to get it to land in the landing zone but not returned - that will put it out to the 20.

Regardless, I would be surprised to see substantially more kickoffs returns this year.

[mgk920]

I do agree that this will make kickoffs more interesting.  Also, no more trying to boom the ball into the stands beyond the end zone or through the uprights. 

I actually think you are going to see a lot of teams bang it out of the end zone and have their opponent start on the 30. Since the kicking team can't move off the 40 until its either touched or it lands in the landing zone, the risk of a return going past the 30 is too high.

Alternatively, the kicking team may do a hard squib kick to get it to land in the landing zone but not returned - that will put it out to the 20.

Regardless, I would be surprised to see substantially more kickoffs returns this year.

Isn't out of bounds beyond the end zone now going to be at the 40?

Mke

[NWI_Irish96]

I do agree that this will make kickoffs more interesting.  Also, no more trying to boom the ball into the stands beyond the end zone or through the uprights. 

I actually think you are going to see a lot of teams bang it out of the end zone and have their opponent start on the 30. Since the kicking team can't move off the 40 until its either touched or it lands in the landing zone, the risk of a return going past the 30 is too high.

Alternatively, the kicking team may do a hard squib kick to get it to land in the landing zone but not returned - that will put it out to the 20.

Regardless, I would be surprised to see substantially more kickoffs returns this year.

Isn't out of bounds beyond the end zone now going to be at the 40?

Mke

From the NFL website:

    Landing zone is the area between the receiving team's goal line and its 20-yard line.

    Any kick that hits short of the landing zone – treated like kickoff out of bounds and ball spotted at B40 yard line; play would be blown dead as soon as kick lands short of the landing zone *essentially eliminates squib kicks*

    Any kick that hits in the landing zone - must be returned

    Any kick that hits in the landing zone and then goes into the end zone – must be returned or downed by receiving team – if downed then touchback to B20 yard line

    Kick hits in end zone, stays inbounds - returned or downed – if downed then touchback to B30 yard line

    Any kick that goes out of the back of the end zone (in the air or bounces) – touchback to B30 yard line

[SEWIGuy]

I do agree that this will make kickoffs more interesting.  Also, no more trying to boom the ball into the stands beyond the end zone or through the uprights. 

I actually think you are going to see a lot of teams bang it out of the end zone and have their opponent start on the 30. Since the kicking team can't move off the 40 until its either touched or it lands in the landing zone, the risk of a return going past the 30 is too high.

Alternatively, the kicking team may do a hard squib kick to get it to land in the landing zone but not returned - that will put it out to the 20.

Regardless, I would be surprised to see substantially more kickoffs returns this year.

Isn't out of bounds beyond the end zone now going to be at the 40?

Mke

From the NFL website:

    Landing zone is the area between the receiving team's goal line and its 20-yard line.

    Any kick that hits short of the landing zone – treated like kickoff out of bounds and ball spotted at B40 yard line; play would be blown dead as soon as kick lands short of the landing zone *essentially eliminates squib kicks*

    Any kick that hits in the landing zone - must be returned

    Any kick that hits in the landing zone and then goes into the end zone – must be returned or downed by receiving team – if downed then touchback to B20 yard line

    Kick hits in end zone, stays inbounds - returned or downed – if downed then touchback to B30 yard line

    Any kick that goes out of the back of the end zone (in the air or bounces) – touchback to B30 yard line

Thank you. I should not have said "squib kick." I meant a low, flat kick that lands in the landing zone but is difficult to secure and return.

[epzik8]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

[NWI_Irish96]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

[mgk920]

So that is still a bit of a 'penalty' for a kickoff that is 'too good', Although I would still have any kickoff that hits out of bounds in any direction be placed at the 40.

Mike

[Max Rockatansky]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

You have quite the hate boner for Michigan don't you?  Now you're wishing via karma injury on players?  Not only that, but players weren't part of the recent scandal?

[SEWIGuy]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

How did McCarthy cheat?

[JayhawkCO]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

How did McCarthy cheat?

Played for Michigan which was stealing signs. Not sure if you can pinpoint individuals who benefitted though.

[Max Rockatansky]

Even still, gloating over an athlete getting injuries is pretty low brow. 

I'm speculating that a lot of the bitterness probably has something to do with the implied fandom suggested in NWI_irish's screen name. 

[SEWIGuy]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

How did McCarthy cheat?

Played for Michigan which was stealing signs. Not sure if you can pinpoint individuals who benefitted though.

Not sure that makes him a cheater. And I am definitely not sure that makes him worthy of getting injured.

And no Notre Dame fan should cast stones on other programs. Harbaugh never killed a guy.

[NWI_Irish96]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

How did McCarthy cheat?

Played for Michigan which was stealing signs. Not sure if you can pinpoint individuals who benefitted though.

Not sure that makes him a cheater. And I am definitely not sure that makes him worthy of getting injured.

And no Notre Dame fan should cast stones on other programs. Harbaugh never killed a guy.

That guy is now gone and we're all pretty happy about it.

[epzik8]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

Huh, I've never heard of this before.

[Max Rockatansky]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

How did McCarthy cheat?

Played for Michigan which was stealing signs. Not sure if you can pinpoint individuals who benefitted though.

Not sure that makes him a cheater. And I am definitely not sure that makes him worthy of getting injured.

And no Notre Dame fan should cast stones on other programs. Harbaugh never killed a guy.

That guy is now gone and we're all pretty happy about it.

Amusing that you're ducking on talking about McCarthy.  Why backpedal now?

[NWI_Irish96]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

How did McCarthy cheat?

Played for Michigan which was stealing signs. Not sure if you can pinpoint individuals who benefitted though.

Not sure that makes him a cheater. And I am definitely not sure that makes him worthy of getting injured.

And no Notre Dame fan should cast stones on other programs. Harbaugh never killed a guy.

That guy is now gone and we're all pretty happy about it.

Amusing that you're ducking on talking about McCarthy.  Why backpedal now?

Not ducking on talking about McCarthy. Your coaches don't magically call audibles that work every time without you knowing something fishy is going on, even if you aren't in on it.

Those players may not have known exactly what was happening, but they knew it was unusual that their coaches always knew what the other team was running.

[Max Rockatansky]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

How did McCarthy cheat?

Played for Michigan which was stealing signs. Not sure if you can pinpoint individuals who benefitted though.

Not sure that makes him a cheater. And I am definitely not sure that makes him worthy of getting injured.

And no Notre Dame fan should cast stones on other programs. Harbaugh never killed a guy.

That guy is now gone and we're all pretty happy about it.

Amusing that you're ducking on talking about McCarthy.  Why backpedal now?

Not ducking on talking about McCarthy. Your coaches don't magically call audibles that work every time without you knowing something fishy is going on, even if you aren't in on it.

Those players may not have known exactly what was happening, but they knew it was unusual that their coaches always knew what the other team was running.

You're totally ducking.  Just own that you are happy McCarthy got hurt.

[NWI_Irish96]

Sorry about J.J. McCarthy

Karma for being a cheater???

How did McCarthy cheat?

Played for Michigan which was stealing signs. Not sure if you can pinpoint individuals who benefitted though.

Not sure that makes him a cheater. And I am definitely not sure that makes him worthy of getting injured.

And no Notre Dame fan should cast stones on other programs. Harbaugh never killed a guy.

That guy is now gone and we're all pretty happy about it.

Amusing that you're ducking on talking about McCarthy.  Why backpedal now?

Not ducking on talking about McCarthy. Your coaches don't magically call audibles that work every time without you knowing something fishy is going on, even if you aren't in on it.

Those players may not have known exactly what was happening, but they knew it was unusual that their coaches always knew what the other team was running.

You're totally ducking.  Just own that you are happy McCarthy got hurt.

Didn't say I was happy. Suggested that it might be karma. I would be happy if something bad happened to Harbaugh though.