College football jumps the shark (35 yard line)

[Squealofthepig]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-ncaa-moves-kickoffs-to-35yard-line-20120224,0,3007619.story

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7611324/ncaa-moves-kickoffs-30-yard-line-35

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2012/02/ncaa-moves-kickoffs-to-35-yard-line-touchbacks-to-25/1

Kickoffs from the 35 instead of the 30; touchbacks to the 25 instead of 20; no jumping over players to attempt to block kicks.

[eagle07]

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldheq23PtQ1qb14gvo1_500.png

[LakesBison]

what a bunch of BS>

[BEAR]

No jumping over players to block kicks? Really? I know you can't use another player to vault yourself..but if you got "ups" they're basically saying let the kicker kick it without any defense. Sad day in college football. I'm betting touchback #s will rise and defenses will play more timid on first down because an offsides give the other team the ball at the 30 with 1st and 5. Sigh.

[superman7515]

Jump The Shark was a great site before TV Guide bought it.

[Mr. C]

Part of the rule changes include some adjustments in how far behind the line of scrimmage that kickoff coverage players can start. A lot of this is designed to prevent injuries. The kickoff coverage team rule should help teams get more yardage and have more opportunity to return kicks, even from the end zone.

[alvinkayak6]

Weak-legged kickers everywhere rejoice.

[RichH2]

Understand the desire to limit injuries but they seem to forget this is tackle FOOTBALL not tennis. Injuries will occur and essentially removing an entire aspect of the game in kick returns seems over much. Were there that many serious injuries on kickoff returns? A serious question.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Understand the desire to limit injuries but they seem to forget this is tackle FOOTBALL not tennis. Injuries will occur and essentially removing an entire aspect of the game in kick returns seems over much. Were there that many serious injuries on kickoff returns? A serious question.
This is exactly what I see going on. Little changes to the game here and there to make it more palatable for the changing face of the more sensitive fans. It is a violent game played by violent men and everybody expects even the players to be angels in every communication they make and every action they take so we really should expect more of this until reaches the tipping point where some of the passion for the sport is unrecoverable.

Hell I stopped watching the NFL a few years back just because of all the "can't touch" ****. It'll take a lot more than this for me to give up on The Griz and FCS but it is headed that way.

[Cleets]

As soon as the NFL posted the results from their 2011 season rules changes
And the Kickoff rule is in there - and there was a reduction in injuries reported - you had to know the NCAA would go that direction

[alvinkayak6]

It's a CYA move because the NCAA doesn't want to be held liable for any injuries on KO. The 25-yard line thing is what surprises me a bit. I guess they wanted to make up for the increase in TB's so that there would be still be decent scoring.

I guess nobody will ever again touch 5 return TDs like the FAMU returner.

[Redhawk2010]

http://theconcussionblog.com/2012/02/16/more-touchbacks-less-concussions-nfl-reports/

50% decrease in concussions is pretty significant...

[ursus arctos horribilis]

http://theconcussionblog.com/2012/02/16/more-touchbacks-less-concussions-nfl-reports/

50% decrease in concussions is pretty significant...

Yeah, that is pretty significant if it is due all, or in large part to that. I didn't read it so I'm covering my *** either which way this goes when I do read it.:D

[NIU007]

Yeah, that is pretty significant if it is due all, or in large part to that. I didn't read it so I'm covering my *** either which way this goes when I do read it.:D

What the article doesn't say is how many actual concussions there were before and how many now, on kickoffs, and what % that is of the total number of concussions in the other phases of the game. What if there were 100 concussions last year, of which 6 were on special teams, and it dropped to 3 this year?

[ursus arctos horribilis]

What the article doesn't say is how many actual concussions there were before and how many now, on kickoffs, and what % that is of the total number of concussions in the other phases of the game. What if there were 100 concussions last year, of which 6 were on special teams, and it dropped to 3 this year?

That's why I was specifically non committal on it. Not enough information yet.

[alvinkayak6]

http://theconcussionblog.com/2012/02/16/more-touchbacks-less-concussions-nfl-reports/

50% decrease in concussions is pretty significant...

I agree .... I was just saying the motive for the NCAA was more likely out of self-interest (lawsuit protection) than legitimate concern over player welfare.

Disagree?

[RichH2]

The CYA factor cannot be discounted. Tried to find some kind of breakdown of when concussions occured,no luck yet but I presume that such info does exist .

[Professor Chaos]

This won't be as big of a factor in the college game as it was in the pro game. Pretty much any pro placekicker can boom it into the end zone from the 35 whereas it's less likely with the average college kicker.

NDSU had a pretty good kicker last year, at least in terms of leg strength, and plenty of his kickoffs didn't make it to the 5 yard line.

[Redhawk2010]

The CYA factor cannot be discounted. Tried to find some kind of breakdown of when concussions occured,no luck yet but I presume that such info does exist .

I would suggest reading some of the stuff found there on The Concussion Blog...

[RichH2]

Thanks Redhawk

[Squealofthepig]

I would suggest reading some of the stuff found there on The Concussion Blog...

Link for the lazy (http://theconcussionblog.com/category/concussions/ncaa-concussions/) (thanks Redhawk!)

[clenz]

FWIW, it was just a couple years ago college was kicking off from the 35. I think it was 07 when it was changed to the 30....I didn't understand changing it then, but changing it back so soon after just proves the doubters of back then right (and there were plenty).


Not a big fan of the 25 yard line though....

[BisonHype!]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-ncaa-moves-kickoffs-to-35yard-line-20120224,0,3007619.story

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7611324/ncaa-moves-kickoffs-30-yard-line-35

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2012/02/ncaa-moves-kickoffs-to-35-yard-line-touchbacks-to-25/1

Kickoffs from the 35 instead of the 30; touchbacks to the 25 instead of 20; no jumping over players to attempt to block kicks.

Wow... what is next? Flag Football?

[Cleets]

Okay.. settle down people
The NCAA as well as The NFL have to pay lip service to Player Safety - They have to..!!!
There is a world full of Lawyers out there waiting to score a payday

So there has to be progress shown - honest measurable progress - towards player safety... This stalls any legal shenanigans and so forth
Neither the NFL or The NCAA by preference on their own want to "Change the Game" that pays the rent - Trust me - but concessions must be made

[Redhawk2010]

Wow... what is next? Flag Football?

At the lower youth levels, ABSOLUTELY YES.

[Strommer10]

FWIW, it was just a couple years ago college was kicking off from the 35. I think it was 07 when it was changed to the 30....I didn't understand changing it then, but changing it back so soon after just proves the doubters of back then right (and there were plenty).


Not a big fan of the 25 yard line though....
These were exactly my thoughts. What is the reason by moving the touchback up? I don't think that should have been messed with.

[lionsrking2]

These were exactly my thoughts. What is the reason by moving the touchback up? I don't think that should have been messed with.

The theory behind moving up the touchback spot - as I understand it - is to encourage return men to kneel instead of running the ball out of the endzone when catching it only a couple of yards deep.

My guess is we'll see more and more sky kicks with hangtime that are fielded inside or around the ten, especially from teams that have excellent kick coverage units.

[Strommer10]

The theory behind moving up the touchback spot - as I understand it - is to encourage return men to kneel instead of running the ball out of the endzone when catching it only a couple of yards deep.

My guess is we'll see more and more sky kicks with hangtime that are fielded inside or around the ten, especially from teams that have excellent kick coverage units.

Ah! I guess that makes sense. It's too bad because the kickoff is one of the most exciting parts of the football game, to me anyways.

[lionsrking2]

Ah! I guess that makes sense. It's too bad because the kickoff is one of the most exciting parts of the football game, to me anyways.

No doubt the kickoff is one of the most exciting plays in football, but it's also one of the most dangerous given the speed at which players are flying around, the angles of blocks and the chances of getting blindsided, blocked in the back or below the waist.

[alvinkayak6]

No doubt the kickoff is one of the most exciting plays in football, but it's also one of the most dangerous given the speed at which players are flying around, the angles of blocks and the chances of getting blindsided, blocked in the back or below the waist.

It's one of the most exciting plays because it involves a change of possession, a time when there is so much opportunity.

[lionsrking2]

It's one of the most exciting plays because it involves a change of possession, a time when there is so much opportunity.

No question, that's why it wasn't eliminated altogether ... easiest thing to do would be to simply start each possession, following a score or to start a game or half, at the 25 yard-line but doing so would take away an opportunity for the kicking team to get the ball back or for the return team to make a big play ... moving the kickoff up and discouraging returns by spotting touchbacks at the 25 is a way to split the baby.

[Redhawk2010]

No question, that's why it wasn't eliminated altogether ... easiest thing to do would be to simply start each possession, following a score or to start a game or half, at the 25 yard-line but doing so would take away an opportunity for the kicking team to get the ball back or for the return team to make a big play ... moving the kickoff up and discouraging returns by spotting touchbacks at the 25 is a way to split the baby.

Wanna talk about really changing the game of football... If you were to eliminate the kickoff, games would be over sooner. A team wouldn't be able to make a comeback if you eliminate the possibility of the onside kick...

[lionsrking2]

Wanna talk about really changing the game of football... If you were to eliminate the kickoff, games would be over sooner. A team wouldn't be able to make a comeback if you eliminate the possibility of the onside kick...

There's been some sentiment to eliminate the kickoff ... I believe it may have been Greg Schiano who made the most noise about it ... of course total elimination will never happen, but I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes optional at some point in the future ... in other words, the kicking team would have the option whether to kickoff or have the ball placed at the 25; or maybe even the 30, which would make the option to kickoff or not a tougher decision.