NFL will be adopting the XFL version of the kick off. Its a 1-year trial rule, so it may not be permanent.
Here is a description of the new play
| Under the new rule, 10 players on the kicking team and at least nine players on the receiving team will line up just five yards apart and won’t begin running until the ball gets back to the returner, meaning players won’t be going full speed when they crash into each other, which caused so many injuries on kickoffs in years past. Of the 22 players on the field, only the kicker and one or two kickoff returners will line up separately from those players who are five yards apart. |
And I linked a Schefter tweet with an example video
Here is what the new kickoff will look like - (
New Window )
Onsides and squibs go away. You have to kick it into the landing zones.
Ball gets placed at a different spot of that happens. The design is to cut down injuries of full speed hits but still encourage returns.
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with some detail how onsides and squib kicks are handled.
Onsides and squibs go away. You have to kick it into the landing zones.
You can still attempt onside kick but you have to announce it in advance. So no longer any "surprise" onside kicks
XFL was already doing this and it appeared successful. I suspect we will see more experiments done in the UFL (former XFL and USFL leagues combined now) tied to NFL interest.
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In comment 16446368 logman said:
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with some detail how onsides and squib kicks are handled.
Onsides and squibs go away. You have to kick it into the landing zones.
You can still attempt onside kick but you have to announce it in advance. So no longer any "surprise" onside kicks
Interesting. Hadn't read that yet. That's good because those are the most fun kickoffs we have and seem safer, even if they don't work very often.
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the KO, the more silly it gets and complex. While I applaud them trying to make the KO relevant again, the complexity at first glance is rough.
XFL was already doing this and it appeared successful. I suspect we will see more experiments done in the UFL (former XFL and USFL leagues combined now) tied to NFL interest.
Thanks
ST coaches coming up with blocking schemes in a tighter set as we speak.
Feels like if you break that line, you're gone? I'm sure that will be coached up.
In punting you have more control, you can squib, onside, go for hang time, etc.
ST coaches coming up with blocking schemes in a tighter set as we speak.
Feels like if you break that line, you're gone? I'm sure that will be coached up.
Yeah, obviously there will need to be "waves" (for lack of a better way to say it) just for that reason (you break the line, GONE!) On that note, anyone know if there are statistically more breakaways/returns for TDs in this configuration?
Like Dwayne Harris kick return TD to beat Dallas in 2015 or Ron Dixon's return to open the game against the Eagles in the 2000 playoffs. Hell while Dixon returned the kickoff in the SB for a TD I thought for about a minute we could possibly come back lol
To be honest, during games after a team scores I just view it as nearly a ten minute break to piss and grab a new beer now. Review of the TD, XP, commercial, kickoff into endzone, commercial
So if this rule change brings special teams back, I’m open to it.
Has anyone watched XFL games and have some input?
Legislating rules is supposed to make the game better but NFL kickoff rules in recent years really hurt the game and frankly almost killed this exciting play off completely.
Then it was more of a meh reaction. A reaction was somewhat of a don't like it, but it's not that bad either type one.
Probably similar here as it plays out.
Then it was more of a meh reaction. A reaction was somewhat of a don't like it, but it's not that bad either type one.
Probably similar here as it plays out.
Saw it in Guardians game....loved it
As for onsides, the XFL allowed the opportunity for what I think was basically a 4th and 15 attempt instead of onsides near the end of game to keep the ball. Onsides are so difficultin the NFL now that it made sense as well.
Maybe they could just put weight belts and ankle weights on everybody.
Fewer than 60% of the Giants kickoffs in 2023 were touchbacks. For teams who were already trying to win the field position game, this will certainly have an impact.
More than 1/3 of the teams in the league had fewer than 75% of their kicks go for touchbacks.
If it does they’ll the change it again, making a touchback more punitive.
97% of XFL kickoffs were returned.