Rule Changes

[95coug]

Some new rules for 2018 announced yesterday:

1. Kickoff fair catch: Any fair catch on a kickoff that happen inside the 25 will be considered a touchback, and the ball will be placed at the 25
2. No blocking below the waist except within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, and all blocks below the waist must come from the front, except for interior linemen
3. There will be a 40-second play clock for all extra points, and for kickoffs following a score
4. There will be a 10-second runoff in the last minute of the half for any play which is reversed, and the correct call would not have stopped the clock.
5. Officials outside the stadium (such as conference offices) may continue to collaborate with replay officials on reviewed plays
6. Leaping over players on field goals and extra points is not ruled the same as on punts (can't jump over another player's body)
7. Penalty enforcement on FGs (personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct) can now be assessed on the ensuing kickoff.

With the accumulation of kickoff rules, I'm starting to believe that it makes sense to eliminate them. Just hand over the ball at the 20 or 25. Might have to see what this new rule does to returns and average field position, but it's getting where strategically, it makes a lot more sense for the deep men to fair catch than to attempt a return.

Edited to add link. I thought I put it on there last night.
http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/alteration-football-kickoff-rule-approved

 

[79COUG]

Regarding #2. I hope it doesn't open up a can of worms regarding intent. It's often difficult to tell in those situations. And that's probably going to be non-revueable?

 

[earldacoug]

The kickoffs have become a big waste of time imo. They do allow for more commercial time for tv, but they sure slow the game down. If we’re going to add these silly rules, I’d rather see the ball put at the 20 and speed the games up as much as possible.

 

[PatBaum]

The kickoffs have become a big waste of time imo. They do allow for more commercial time for tv, but they sure slow the game down. If we’re going to add these silly rules, I’d rather see the ball put at the 20 and speed the games up as much as possible.

On side kicks?

 

[95coug]

On side kicks?

Certainly would change strategy near the end of games. If you have a 9-14 point lead in the last 2 minutes or so...let them score. They can't kick onside, you get the ball at your 20 or 25 and can just run it out...or even take a knee, if they don't have timeouts.

 

[Loyal Coug]

Certainly would change strategy near the end of games. If you have a 9-14 point lead in the last 2 minutes or so...let them score. They can't kick onside, you get the ball at your 20 or 25 and can just run it out...or even take a knee, if they don't have timeouts.

Well, no. The rule speaks to fair catches within the 25. Onside kicks would not go that far.

 

[95coug]

Well, no. The rule speaks to fair catches within the 25. Onside kicks would not go that far.

I was referring to the idea of eliminating kickoffs. Pat Baum questioned the impact on onside kicks, which I think would also be eliminated, and then that would lead to the strategy change I mentioned.

The new fair catch rule doesn't quite get that far, but I think it's a step closer to not kicking off at all.

If I were a coach under the new rule, I'd consider changing how I put men on the field this season. I'm not sure I put my best return guys on the goal line anymore. I think my best returners go on the 10-15, so they can return short kicks. My guys who can reliably fair catch go on the goal line, and are forbidden to return any kick that lands inside the 10. I'd rather consistently start on the 25 and sometimes get to the 50, instead of starting regularly between the 15-20 and running one back once a year.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

I was referring to the idea of eliminating kickoffs. Pat Baum questioned the impact on onside kicks, which I think would also be eliminated, and then that would lead to the strategy change I mentioned.

The new fair catch rule doesn't quite get that far, but I think it's a step closer to not kicking off at all.

If I were a coach under the new rule, I'd consider changing how I put men on the field this season. I'm not sure I put my best return guys on the goal line anymore. I think my best returners go on the 10-15, so they can return short kicks. My guys who can reliably fair catch go on the goal line, and are forbidden to return any kick that lands inside the 10. I'd rather consistently start on the 25 and sometimes get to the 50, instead of starting regularly between the 15-20 and running one back once a year.

It's only a matter of time before kickoffs are eliminated. The thrill of "running one back" isn't really worth the physical abuse that players go through during a kickoff. At some point, I could see the transition being a kick-off to start each half but then starting at the 20 or 25 yard line after that, kind of like the way that jump balls are handled in college today. Jump ball to start the game but nothing after that. If kickoffs are completely eliminated, I could see teams starting at the 20 yard line again.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Well, no. The rule speaks to fair catches within the 25. Onside kicks would not go that far.

Correct. But if you eliminate the kick off from the game entirely you also remove the onside kick. So how does that effect the game?

I understand making the game safer. I also understand not playing if you don’t wanna get hurt.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Correct. But if you eliminate the kick off from the game entirely you also remove the onside kick. So how does that effect the game?

I understand making the game safer. I also understand not playing if you don’t wanna get hurt.

That's a great point. Maybe they allow a team the option to choose to kick-off (onside kick?) in the last 5 minutes of the game if the score is within 8 points?

 

[95coug]

That's a great point. Maybe they allow a team the option to choose to kick-off (onside kick?) in the last 5 minutes of the game if the score is within 8 points?

Possible. But the success rate of onside kicks will be even lower, since choosing to kick off in the first place telegraphs that you're going to attempt the onside.

Just thinking out loud here, but...What about if your rule change was implemented, along with a reduction from 10 yards to 5 yards for the kicking team to recover? That would bump the success rate back up, and would mean the kicking team potentially gives up the ball within field goal range for a decent kicker.

 

[Loyal Coug]

That's a great point. Maybe they allow a team the option to choose to kick-off (onside kick?) in the last 5 minutes of the game if the score is within 8 points?

Ehhh, I don't like rules that "kick in" at a certain point in the game. You play 55 minutes, then all off the sudden everything changes to give the behind team a better chance to come back? To each his own, but I'm not for any of this. Don't we already have some clock stopping rules that kick in late?

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Possible. But the success rate of onside kicks will be even lower, since choosing to kick off in the first place telegraphs that you're going to attempt the onside.

Just thinking out loud here, but...What about if your rule change was implemented, along with a reduction from 10 yards to 5 yards for the kicking team to recover? That would bump the success rate back up, and would mean the kicking team potentially gives up the ball within field goal range for a decent kicker.

In general, everyone knows when an onside kick is coming late in the game, so I'm not sure that the chances are changed meaningfully. Interesting thought on the change in recovery distance but I doubt that it would fly. Moving the receiving team back 5 yards might make it more interesting too.

 

[OrangeGravy]

In general, everyone knows when an onside kick is coming late in the game, so I'm not sure that the chances are changed meaningfully. Interesting thought on the change in recovery distance but I doubt that it would fly. Moving the receiving team back 5 yards might make it more interesting too.

I like that idea if football got to that point, but then you'd be right back at putting the players at more risk of higher speed collisions, which they're trying to eliminate. I hate all the rule changes that attempt to make things safer. They're quickly approaching the point where I'd rather football just went away. The targeting stuff has just about ruined it for me.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Not a huge fan of rules that fundamentally change the game. Moving towards eliminating kickoffs is that rule. Next is punts.

Special teams plays are/ can be a huge part of the game. I'd like to see a comprehensive plan for the game moving forward before they start snipping pieces off a little at a time and we are left with several years of weird/ bad football because of it. Come up with an end game and then make moves toward that and stop with these half measures that just make the game awkward in the interim.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Not a huge fan of rules that fundamentally change the game. Moving towards eliminating kickoffs is that rule. Next is punts.

Special teams plays are/ can be a huge part of the game. I'd like to see a comprehensive plan for the game moving forward before they start snipping pieces off a little at a time and we are left with several years of weird/ bad football because of it. Come up with an end game and then make moves toward that and stop with these half measures that just make the game awkward in the interim.

I get what you are saying and I don't think punts should be eliminated and I don't know that I've heard any serious suggestions about that idea. Kickoffs are different because there isn't as much variety to the yardage situation when compared to punting. A study in 2013 found that 2/3rds of the time, teams started between the 20 and 30 yard line, about 14% of the time it was inside the 20, 14% were between the 30 and 40 yard line and about 5% went past that. I looked at the NCAA kickoff returns chart and 15 teams had 2+ returns and 23 teams had 1 return. 80 teams didn't have a kickoff return for a touchdown last year. So, it's not like it's that common for teams to flip the field and have a huge return (about 1 time out of 20) and it's relatively rare for a kickoff to be returned for a TD. In general, teams have to go 70+ yards for a drive off of a kickoff.

Punts are different because the location of the kick is so variable. A great punt can flip field position in a meaningful way and it happens all the time. A great punt returner can make a huge difference, but it's actually more rare than the kickoff return. Only 9 teams had multiple punt returns for TD's last year. Still, field position is hugely affected by punting and as a result, punts shouldn't be eliminated.