UFL to end traditional onside kicks

[PromoTheRobot]

Until now, teams had the option of the traditional onside kick & scrum, or converting a 15 yard 1st down (in one play.) The UFL will now only allow onside-by-conversion, but shorten the line of gain from 15 yards to 12, from your own 28 yard line.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/ufl-ditches-onside-kicks-for-fourth-and-12-from-the-28

Edited 3 hours ago by PromoTheRobot

[Offside Number 76]

I don't understand why leagues are in such a rush to get rid of one of the most exciting plays in sports.  I truly don't.  I realize that the Steve Christie sneak onside kick may be over and done with forever, but please, football leagues, allow onside kicks throughout the entire game.

[Homey D. Clown]

If nobody watches, did the rule change really exist?

[Brand J]

4 minutes ago, Offside Number 76 said:

I don't understand why leagues are in such a rush to get rid of one of the most exciting plays in sports.  I truly don't.  I realize that the Steve Christie sneak onside kick may be over and done with forever, but please, football leagues, allow onside kicks throughout the entire game.

A sneak onside kick is no longer possible and those were recovered at a much higher rate than regular, expected onside kicks. I think the recovery percentage last year was somewhere around 7%. 
 

I’m cool with a 4th down snap from the 30 replacing the onside kick, but keep it at 15 yards. I do worry about officiating influencing the play, especially a ticky tack call. 

[YattaOkasan]

2 minutes ago, Brand J said:

A sneak onside kick is no longer possible and those were recovered at a much higher rate than regular, expected onside kicks. I think the recovery percentage last year was somewhere around 7%. 
 

I’m cool with a 4th down snap from the 30 replacing the onside kick, but keep it at 15 yards. I do worry about officiating influencing the play, especially a ticky tack call. 

Officiating is by far the biggest hurdle but i think 4th and 15 from the 30 is way more exciting than super unlikely onside kick.  I would rather see the best players with opportunities to make the biggest plays.  Onside kick is so niche, but a 4th and 15 is a executing a tough offensive play which should be very exciting.  Additionally, punts seem like better return opportunities than place kicks if you dont onside.

Edited 2 hours ago by YattaOkasan

[RobbRiddick]

4th and 12 ? That's horses**t IMO. Maybe there is a stat that shows it's as likely as an onside but that seems so much easier. 

 

This will happen in the NFL for sure. Part of the plan to eliminate the kicking game and have as many points as possible. Punting will soon be a thing of the past unless deep in your own territory. I know the younger fans seem to love all this but I really, really dislike it.

 

 

[TheFunPolice]

Scenario: AFC Championship game. Last game ever at the current Highmark Stadium. 4th quarter. Bills led 28-17 but Chiefs just scored to make it 28-24 with 1:57 left. 

 

Romo: Ooooooooohhhhhhh Jimmmmmmmmm the Chiefs trying for the 4th and 12 onside kick! 

Nance: "Mahomes back to throw, rushed to his right by Garrett... and SACKED! SACKED! A couple of kneel downs and the Bills are going to the Super Bowl!"

 

Romo: "ohhhhhhh wait a minute Jimmmmm... there's a flag!" 

 

Do we really need the rest? 

 

If this rule existed during the NE* dynasty Brady would have 11 Super Bowl rings 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by TheFunPolice

[Doc Brown]

My idea.  Rock, paper, scissors.  If one team wins nine out of ten they get the onside kick conversion.

[Offside Number 76]

2 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

My idea.  Rock, paper, scissors.  If one team wins nine out of ten they get the onside kick conversion.

 

[Brand J]

12 minutes ago, TheFunPolice said:

Scenario: AFC Championship game. Last game ever at the current Highmark Stadium. 4th quarter. Bills led 28-17 but Chiefs just scored to make it 28-24 with 1:57 left. 

 

Romo: Ooooooooohhhhhhh Jimmmmmmmmm the Chiefs trying for the 4th and 12 onside kick! 

Nance: "Mahomes back to throw, rushed to his right by Garrett... and SACKED! SACKED! A couple of kneel downs and the Bills are going to the Super Bowl!"

 

Romo: "ohhhhhhh wait a minute Jimmmmm... there's a flag!" 

 

Do we really need the rest? 

 

If this rule existed during the NE* dynasty Brady would have 11 Super Bowl rings 

 

Wonder if they can take the refs out of it somehow, but keep a kicking component, something extremely difficult. I’d say a 64 yard made FG for the right to possess the ball again, but that wouldn’t be fair because all the kickers don’t have the leg for it. What else could we entertain that’s low percentage? Perhaps some sort of coffin corner punt? Downed or out of bounds inside the 5 yard line (kicking from the 50?) I don’t know, but there has to be a fair alternative to the current onside kick. 

[Offside Number 76]

36 minutes ago, Brand J said:

A sneak onside kick is no longer possible and those were recovered at a much higher rate than regular, expected onside kicks. I think the recovery percentage last year was somewhere around 7%. 
 

I’m cool with a 4th down snap from the 30 replacing the onside kick, but keep it at 15 yards. I do worry about officiating influencing the play, especially a ticky tack call. 

Could give teams the option between the kick and the fake fourth down.  There's no reason to eliminate the kick, and no reason for the NFL to limit it the way it currently is.

[Brand J]

Just now, Offside Number 76 said:

Could give teams the option between the kick and the fake fourth down.  There's no reason to eliminate the kick, and no reason for the NFL to limit it the way it currently is.

There’s a 93+% recovery rate by the hands team. When kickers were hitting extra points from the 2 yard line, they moved it back to the 16 to make it more difficult. The success rate for extra points is still high, but at least it’s not the 99% of years ago. We need a little more variance in the 6-7% recovery rate for onside kicks.

[TheFunPolice]

When it comes to the onside kick, part of me thinks that if you worked all game to build a lead that is more than 1 score and the other team doesn't have time or opportunity to come back then too bad

 

they had all game to figure it out 

 

Do the old onside kick and take your chances

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by TheFunPolice

[Offside Number 76]

I guess I'm getting old and remember Christie's kick (radio only in WNY unless you were there) better than some?  Not sure.  It was incredible.

[ControllerOfPlanetX]

Not sure why they are intent on giving teams getting beat the whole game chances to win when they really don’t deserve it.

[Spiderweb]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Until now, teams had the option of the traditional onside kick & scrum, or converting a 15 yard 1st down (in one play.) The UFL will now only allow onside-by-conversion, but shorten the line of gain from 15 yards to 12, from your own 28 yard line.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/ne2ws/ufl-ditches-onside-kicks-for-fourth-and-12-from-the-28

Absolutely NO!

 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, Offside Number 76 said:

I don't understand why leagues are in such a rush to get rid of one of the most exciting plays in sports.  I truly don't.  I realize that the Steve Christie sneak onside kick may be over and done with forever, but please, football leagues, allow onside kicks throughout the entire game.

 

Player safety/liability is a big reason. The UFL is acting like a rules lab for the NFL. Who knows if this becomes an NFL rule?

[Big Turk]

1 hour ago, Offside Number 76 said:

I don't understand why leagues are in such a rush to get rid of one of the most exciting plays in sports.  I truly don't.  I realize that the Steve Christie sneak onside kick may be over and done with forever, but please, football leagues, allow onside kicks throughout the entire game.

 

How is it exciting? It's success rate is like 5%, meaning you already know the outcome 95 times out of 100 which makes it one of the LEAST exciting plays in football. Would be like saying the old XP from the 2 yard line was "exciting" when they made 98% of the kicks.

Edited 48 minutes ago by Big Turk

[TheFunPolice]

This proposal is way, way too much power in the hands of a ref. 

 

It's like letting a ref throw a flag to allow a team to automatically convert an onside kick. 

 

Disaster waiting to happen either way. There's 2 possibilities:

 

1. They'll ref the play like any other 4th and long, meaning there will semi-often be flags thrown that automatically award the ball to the "kicking team" in this scenario. Think of all the possibilities: defensive holding, DPI, roughing the passer, hands to the face, illegal contact, unnecessary roughness for a big hit by a DB. That's a TON of temptation. 

 

On the flip side, offensive holding to wipe out the conversion. 

 

2. The league will tell the refs to swallow the whistle for this play, which means defenses will take advantage, hold, etc. knowing the refs won't have the guts to call it. Sort of like a Hail Mary play now. 

 

Can you imagine the absolute uproar if a playoff game was decided because a ref threw a flag on the "onside conversion" play that allowed the Chiefs to win a playoff game? 

 

LOL 

 

It got bad this year. That would be nuclear. 

Edited 43 minutes ago by TheFunPolice

[Saint Doug]

1 hour ago, YattaOkasan said:

Officiating is by far the biggest hurdle but i think 4th and 15 from the 30 is way more exciting than super unlikely onside kick.  I would rather see the best players with opportunities to make the biggest plays.  Onside kick is so niche, but a 4th and 15 is a executing a tough offensive play which should be very exciting.  Additionally, punts seem like better return opportunities than place kicks if you dont onside.

A 4th and 15 from the 30 is an almost guaranteed throw up for a defense PI call. I don’t think officials would be able to help themselves. 
 

Edit: on 2nd thought, I think I would prefer a Hail Mary situation. Of course, this would mean the Bills lose another game a season. But these are more exciting than on-side kicks which usually don’t convert. 

Edited 35 minutes ago by Saint Doug