The dumbest rule in the NFL: New rule change

[pennstate10]

4 hours ago, ArdmoreRyno said:

 

I never knew that was even possible until I was watching my Cowboys (Oklahoma State) play Texas Tech this year. Tech scored on their opening drive (up 7-0) and kicked an onside kick on the kickoff. OSU player waved his arm and while Tech recovered, it was a penalty on the Red Raiders because of the fair catch rule. 

 

Brilliant play by the kid. Got the ball to start the drive inside the Tech 35 yard line. 

 

 

Really heads up play by 22 to quickly wave for fair catch. 
The announcer was wrong, stating that he called it on “the high bounce”. If the ball had bounced, he couldn’t have called a legal fair catch. As opposed to most insides kicks, where the kicker drives it into the ground and gets a high bounce, the TT kicker got under the ball and lofted it. There was no bounce. 

[BarleyNY]

28 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

How many kickoffs result in a fair catch anyway?

 

 

NFL models predict it will reduce returns from 38% to 31%.  Not earth shattering.  

 

 

 

Yup. In lopsided college games it allows the team getting pummeled to avoid getting unnecessarily injured on kickoff returns by fair catching them all. That won’t happen as often in the NFL, but if I’m a coach I’m using this to my advantage. I’m telling my KO return team to fair catch every KO in meaningless games or after meaningful games are out of hand in either direction. 

[frostbitmic]

Just have Bass kick the ball as hard as he can directly at the closest person on the other side. Either the ball gets through untouched and becomes a hot potato or it hits someone and bounces who knows where.

[hondo in seattle]

In the interest of safety, next season the NFL will allow receivers to call for a fair catch. 

 

[LABILLBACKER]

Regarding safety, the dumbest NFL rule is not allowing all 53 to dress.  Especially dealing with short rest Thursday games. Pure stupidity. 

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, BarleyNY said:

 

Yup. In lopsided college games it allows the team getting pummeled to avoid getting unnecessarily injured on kickoff returns by fair catching them all. That won’t happen as often in the NFL, but if I’m a coach I’m using this to my advantage. I’m telling my KO return team to fair catch every KO in meaningless games or after meaningful games are out of hand in either direction. 

 

 

How many fair catches are there in a season on kickoffs?

 

This rule's whining to impact ratio is approaching infinity...

[Motorin']

7 hours ago, BruceVilanch said:

So... Can you fair catch an onside kick?

 

You always could. That's why kickers bounce the ball off the ground. You can't fair catch a ball that has hit the ground.

[scuba guy]

I actually thought the dumbest rule in the nfl is when a offensive player fumbles the ball out of the endzone.

Ball goes to the def.

[JerseyBills]

8 hours ago, T&C said:

This is where the coffin corner kick comes into play...

Yup. Well McD has pretty consistently had Bass kick it high and short of the EZ and Bass and our ST has overall done a phenomenal job at it

 

Edit - wait so this means you can fair catch a kickoff in the field of play and get it at the 25?? If so that's ridiculous 

Edited May 23, 2023 by JerseyBills

[Patrick Duffy]

Just now, JerseyBills said:

Yup. Well McD has pretty consistently had Bass kick it high and short of the EZ and Bass and our ST has overall done a phenomenal job at it

 

I don't know if I'd say they were phenomenal at it, there were some times they kept teams inside the 25 here and there but not sure it was enough to say did they did phenomenal. While Bass is a very good kicker, he will more times than you'd want to see kick some of those out of bounds giving offenses good field position starting at the 40.

[JerseyBills]

9 minutes ago, Patrick Duffy said:

 

I don't know if I'd say they were phenomenal at it, there were some times they kept teams inside the 25 here and there but not sure it was enough to say did they did phenomenal. While Bass is a very good kicker, he will more times than you'd want to see kick some of those out of bounds giving offenses good field position starting at the 40.

I thought much more times than not , the Bills did an excellent job at keeping teams below the 20 , sure there were some mishaps , like every team will experience but I remember watching and being very pleased with this strategy vs kicking it in or out the EZ every time

 

I'm confused though, does this mean a KR can fair catch at the 2 yard line and get the ball at the 25? 

Edited May 24, 2023 by JerseyBills

[The Frankish Reich]

6 hours ago, TBBills Fan said:

 

 

I dont know, but i did read that was a major point ST coaches were trying to make (if this is a "safety" related rule change)

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/05/23/nfl-approves-putting-ball-on-25-yard-line-following-fair-catches-on-kickoffs/

Special teams coordinators around the league had a different view of the impact of the rule change, however, and came out against it recently. In addition to seeing it as a possible step toward eliminating kickoffs entirely, there has been discussion that the rule change could encourage squib kicks and other attempts to force teams to field kickoffs and negate potential increases in safety in the process.

I think the NFL's idea - and it's a sound one - is that the potential for serious neurological injury (think Kevin Everett) is greatest per play on kickoff returns. Big men sprinting full-speed into each other. F=MV. So they want to reduce the number of classic-type kickoff returns. You make touchbacks come out to the 25, which is a disincentive to trying to return a kick that lands in the endzone. It works. But kicking teams adapt, and learn that the short kickoff may actually force a return. So the impact of the 25 yard line touchback is partly consumed. So now you allow teams to fair catch a flyball kickoff that would land at the 5. It makes sense. Kickoffs will probably go away eventually, but the NFL hasn't really figured out how to do that while preserving the things worth preserving, which right now is probably just the onside kick.

 

Squib kicks don't present the same risk, so I think the NFL would be fine with seeing more of those.

[PrimeTime101]

I got to play devil's advocate on this one... and for me this is easy.

Imagine Hamlin playing on ST returns squad and the force of 2 players

moving forward, And Hamlin had taken a Helmet instead of a fist in that exact same spot?

 

NFL teams will just figure it out. The Kickers that do not have the power to drop it in the endzone

every time? drop it within the 10? Make it a tough last second decision to make.

 

The NFL Teams will adjust. 

[The Frankish Reich]

1 minute ago, PrimeTime101 said:

I got to play devil's advocate on this one... and for me this is easy.

Imagine Hamlin playing on ST returns squad and the force of 2 players

moving forward, And Hamlin had taken a Helmet instead of a fist in that exact same spot?

 

NFL teams will just figure it out. The Kickers that do not have the power to drop it in the endzone

every time? drop it within the 10? Make it a tough last second decision to make.

 

The NFL Teams will adjust. 

Right. Because let's face it - kick returns are no longer a thrilling play (if they ever were). 

 

https://ktar.com/story/5410817/nfl-nextgen-stats-turns-focus-to-special-teams-returns/

 

One kick return TD every 30 games.

 

Of course, the Bills (having Hines now) are probably among the teams negatively impacted.

[Donuts and Doritos]

So what if you fair catch beyond the 25, for example at the 40, does it go back to the 25?

[PrimeTime101]

23 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Right. Because let's face it - kick returns are no longer a thrilling play (if they ever were). 

 

https://ktar.com/story/5410817/nfl-nextgen-stats-turns-focus-to-special-teams-returns/

 

One kick return TD every 30 games.

 

Of course, the Bills (having Hines now) are probably among the teams negatively impacted.

if anything this makes the decision of a kick returner harder to make not easier. Not unless they are told.. no matter what, inside the 10 kneel.. But many teams have good returners.. they will gamble. This puts the fun in returns 

[Nitro]

Unintended consequences.   This was done to reduce concussions but how many teams will now do squib kicks or line driver one hoppers?  Set up for a possible turn over or pinning a team deep, the kicking team will be flying to the ball.  Thus more chance for injuries and concussions.  

[DCbillsfan]

9 hours ago, Limeaid said:

Very stupid rule change.

 

Waiting for a team to get used to a fair catch and then returner fakes a fair catch and takes it for a touchdown.

 

I believe there's a rule regarding a proper fair catch signal and you can't fake a fair catch.  I believe it's a penalty to try to fake one and then run with it.

[buffblue]

8 hours ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

So this means a player can just catch a kickoff at the 3 yard line, signal fair catch and it comes to the 25?

Yep. Will be interesting to see the impact on how many teams will now adopt the strategy of calling for a fair catch on kicks short of the end zone. Obviously the quality of returner, hang time, etc. will also play a role. 

 

The Bills have often liked to pooch the ball short with Bass to the 5-7 yard line and see if they can pin a team deep on the return to gain field position. I wonder if this new rule will effectively end that dynamic. And if so, as others have said, why not just eliminate the play altogether?

[BillsfaninChicago]

By the 2024 season the NFL will be Sarcastaball and I am ok with this as long as we get Randy Marsh on the staff as defensive coordinator.