go.pack.go.
13 years ago


The NFL competition committee will propose to the league at next weeks owners meetings that kickoffs be moved up five yards to the 35-yard line and that all scoring plays be subject to booth review.

Those are the two most significant rule changes that will be proposed, according to competition committee chair Rich McKay, who spoke with reporters on a conference call Wednesday. The proposals will be voted on by owners at the annual spring meeting, scheduled for March 20-22 in New Orleans.

Also, player safety will remain a paramount issue at the meeting, with a message being delivered that flagrant, illegal hits to defenseless players could result in suspensions in 2011.

Kickoff rules might undergo other modifications, as well. Players on the kickoff team would have to line up no more than 5 yards behind the kickoff line, shortening their running start, while all wedge blocks would be eliminated. Touchbacks, which almost certainly would increase with kickers gaining a 5-yard advantage, would put the ball on the 25-yard line, rather than the traditional 20. A kickoff that goes out of bounds would still be placed at the 40.

The impetus for the changes is the frequency of injuries the competition committee has seen on kickoffs, McKay said. Kickoffs were moved from the 35 back to the 30 in 1994.

Concussions and major injuries, both are there in the play and both need addressing, McKay said. We watched a lot of film and its a play that needs modification.

By limiting the running start for coverage players and moving the kickoff line ahead 5 yards, the committees goal is to shorten the field and thereby reduce injuries. Moving a touchback to the 25 is designed to even out the effects for both the kicking and receiving teams and hopefully keep the majority of kickers from just blasting the ball into the end zone.

McKay said the average starting position following a kickoff last year was just beyond the 27-yard line, and kickoffs landed at an average of the 5.5-yard line.

We tried to balance the other rules that go into it and we think well still end up with a start line pretty close to where we were, McKay said.

As for the instant replay system, the committee will propose that all scoring plays be subject to review, the same as plays in the last two minutes of both halves and in overtime.

The replay official in the booth would determine if a scoring play needs to be reviewed, and the referee on the field would look at the video, same as the current system.

Scoring plays have been the most frequently challenged plays, McKay said. With them no longer subject to coachs challenges, coaches also would no longer be able to gain a third challenge based on successfully using their first two. Coaches would have just two challenges, whether successful or not.

We do put a lot of stress on the coaches because of the fact that they deal with going on the road, with different video boards that tend to not always show a review, McKay said. We felt on scoring plays, which are major plays, why not use the same process as in the last two minutes to relieve them of that responsibility?

We want to see what the effect is. We dont want to slow down the game. I dont think anytime youll see us going to a system (like the current college one) where every play is reviewable based on the guy upstairs.

The competition committee also discussed re-seeding for the playoffs and implementing the new postseason overtime rule for the regular season, but neither idea has enough support for a formal proposal at this point, McKay said. No postseason games went into overtime this past season, so theres nothing on which to judge the impact of the rule.

Other than the proposed rule changes, the committee also is continuing to focus its energies on player safety.

McKay said there will be a proposal to expand the defenseless player rule so as to protect a receiver until he can protect himself or clearly becomes a runner. Language also will be specified in the rules to prohibit launching, which will be defined as leaving the feet and springing forward and upward to deliver a blow with any part of the helmet or facemask.

More significant than those clarifications will be communication that flagrant hits to the head and neck area or with the head/helmet will be subject to much stronger discipline, including suspensions.

Ray Anderson, the NFLs executive vice president of football operations, noted in the conference call that the league didnt feel players and teams were given fair warning last year that suspensions could result from flagrant, illegal hits even though it was in the rules, therefore, the primary measure of discipline was fines.

Anderson stressed that suspensions will now be a viable option without the hesitation the league exercised in 2010. A players history involving such actions will play a role, too.

We are not relenting on this, Anderson said. In 2011, if there are repeat offenders or flagrant violators, we will hold them accountable, even if it means suspension.

Some hold the view that suspension is the real messenger in terms of seriousness of enforcement. We hope we dont get there but everyone will be on notice.



http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-1/Kickoffs-might-be-moved-up-5-yards/2d16b3cc-aa93-4e2c-8528-af51ca5023bc 
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djcubez
13 years ago
I like all the changes a lot but I think the kickoff ones are a bit odd. Not odd enough to really alter the game much though.
Zero2Cool
13 years ago
The kickoff's used to be at the 35 yard line. They moved it back because there were too many touchbacks and they felt kick returns were an exciting part of the game they wanted to bring back.
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Greg C.
13 years ago

The kickoff's used to be at the 35 yard line. They moved it back because there were too many touchbacks and they felt kick returns were an exciting part of the game they wanted to bring back.

"Zero2Cool" wrote:



Yeah, I remember that. It made sense to me. So now they're thinking of moving it back to the 35, but taking touchbacks to the 25 yard line so kickers will be less inclined to just boom the ball into the end zone. I don't see how this really makes much difference. They are claiming that it is some sort of player safety thing. I don't buy it.
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Cheesey
13 years ago
That's messed up.
They want to keep changing it. How long before they do away with kickoffs altogether? Just give the team the ball on the 20, and go from there.
Also.....outlaw tackling at all. That would cut down on injuries. (yes, i'm being sarcastic) LOL!
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go.pack.go.
13 years ago

That's messed up.
They want to keep changing it. How long before they do away with kickoffs altogether? Just give the team the ball on the 20, and go from there.
Also.....outlaw tackling at all. That would cut down on injuries. (yes, i'm being sarcastic) LOL!

"Cheesey" wrote:



The funny part is, that's what we're headed for.
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wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
13 years ago
I don't mind the rule change. Uncle Ted has not placed a very high priority on a kick returner. This sort of evens things out with the other teams in the division who do have quality return men.

I suppose we will see more high, short kickoffs sort of like the punts are these days.
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wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
13 years ago
Here is the JSOnline  story that goes in to more detail on helmet to helmet hits.

Another change the league wants to make in regard to player safety - although it won't be through a rule change - is using the threat of suspension to lessen the amount of illegal hits in the game.

"There will be strong support in the 2011 season for making sure that players understand that, when warranted, suspensions will be an effective discipline for us," said NFL director of football operations Ray Anderson.

"We don't want to go there, but if we must, we're prepared to do that because these rules are meant to protect everybody on the field and all are accountable to those player safety rules."

The suspensions will be used as deterrents to limit the growing number of ugly helmet-to-helmet and defender-on-defenseless player shots. According to Anderson, offenses will be traced over a two-year period for the sake of determining repeat violators.

Under those guidelines, it's likely Green Bay Packers safety Nick Collins would have been suspended for three unnecessary roughness penalties last season.

Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison, Atlanta cornerback Dunta Robinson and New England safety Brandon Meriweather all were fined heavily for unnecessary roughness and would probably be considered for suspensions this year.

The NFL toughened its policy for helmet-to-helmet hits in October, telling players they didn't have to be repeat offenders to be punished. But Anderson said the league didn't feel it was fair to suspend players without giving them months to consider the heightened penalty.

The players will be duly warned before the 2011 season, Anderson said.

"Some folks hold the view that suspension is the real messenger in terms of seriousness of enforcement," Anderson said. "So we hope we don't get there, but everyone is going to be on notice."


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Zero2Cool
13 years ago

I don't mind the rule change. Uncle Ted has not placed a very high priority on a kick returner. This sort of evens things out with the other teams in the division who do have quality return men.

I suppose we will see more high, short kickoffs sort of like the punts are these days.

"wpr" wrote:



I suppose the 25 yard line is better than the 40 or a score. I was originally going to say with the touchbacks going to the 25, some teams might tempt fate.
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Dexter_Sinister
13 years ago
Bring the taller Tee back to get some height on the kick offs.
I want to go out like my Grandpa did. Peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming in terror like his passengers.
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TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Getting Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round in 2023 was pretty darn good
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : for some reason i'm thinking of a draft where the Eagles where in the mid 20s and a top player fell all the way to them
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