If you have been reading my work for The Sporting Base over the last few years, I am not a strong supporter for change. I cannot stand the NBA midseason tournament, and the fact that each NFL team now plays an odd number of games in the regular season and odd number of NFL teams make the playoffs in each conference is downright ridiculous.
And now those in charge of the NFL are tinkering with the rules. Say it ain’t so. But, it is true. The new kickoff rules this season just makes the game look weird.
For those unaware, the kicking team will now kick the ball off from the 35 yard line (like the Canadian Football League). I have no problem with CFL kickers kicking from the 35 yard line, as the field is 110 yards, but in the NFL, it is 100 yards, so there should be a return to the 20 yard line.
That is not it. Under the new rules, there are now 10 players on the kicking team lined up on the opponents’s 40 yard line, and nine players on the receiving team will line up between the 30 and 35 yard line. Players can only move once the ball has been caught, hits the ground in the end zone or inside the 20-yard line (called the landing zone). All kickoffs inside the landing zone must be returned. A touchback can still take place if the ball bounces from the landing zone into the end zone. However, if the ball does not reach the landing zone or is out of bounds, the receiving team gets the football at their own 40 yard line. If the ball enters the end zone from the air, the receiving team gets the ball on the 30 yard line. There are no more fair catches, and onside kicks can only be done in the fourth quarter and if your team is losing.
There has only been one kickoff return for a TD so far. That was accomplished by Deejay Dallas for the Arizona Cardinals in week one in Buffalo.
The NFL is trying to generate more offense. It is very challenging to play defense in the NFL as it is, and these new rules will make things harder. What do you think? Let us know.
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