NFL Kickoff Drastically Changed

[LuFins Dad]

Approved yesterday

I think it will bring the kickoff return back into the game safely. It might even be a bigger part of the game than it was 20 years ago, but I dislike that there can’t be surprise inside kicks and they can only happen in the 4th quarter.

[89th]

I like it. If I landed on earth today and you showed me this format vs the previous one, this one fits my eye much better. That being said, is this mainly to reduce how many full-speed running collisions happen, I presume?

[Jolly]

Correct.

[89th]

I suppose it'll help reduce it. You'll still have some player that make it through the line for a full speed tackle, but perhaps not as many. I wonder if this almost turns into a strategy where the receiving team forms a real wall blockade to help push the line, scrum style.

[Jolly]

Because of blocking schemes, contact occurs from 10 yards to almost 35 yards down the field on current kickoffs. With the speed of players today, a collision at the 20 might have a combined speed of 25mph or more.

It's violent.

Even at the level I played at (high school), I had a hit on a kickoff that broke all four bolts on the chinstrap and cracked the front of the helmet

[Copper]

Somebody will come up with a clever way to score on the kickoff almost every time.

Then it will be outlawed.