NEW FAN QUESTION: CONCEDE THE SAFETY?

I'm 23 years old and have been a huge football fan since I was 6. But until this season I have primarly followed the American game by way of being a Buffalo Bills season ticket holder.

I have watched most of the CFL games so far this year but there is one thing that really drives me nuts and I can't see why it's done so much....Why do so many teams concede the safety when punting from just outside of their own endzone in this league? It's something that you almost never, ever see in the NFL. I understand the idea of field posession and I know that giving the ball to the other team at your own 30-40 yeard line is less than ideal but is it really worse then literally giving them 2 points and then giving them the ball anyway? Is it really so tough to call on your defence and ask them to make 2 plays?

Just drives me nuts to see my Ti-Cats already down 10-0 right now give up another 2 simply because the coach has no faith in his defence.

Can someone please try to make me understand this stragety?

I think that this is something that you will see change over the course of this season. Teams used to always give up safeties in that situation, and then kickoff from the 35 as per normal pushing their opponent deep in their own zone. This year they moved the kickoff back 10 yards, meaning that the opponent gets pretty decent field position after a safety.

I haven't seen as many TD's scored following a safety as I have this year. I was just wondering about that - whether someone out there knows at what rate teams have been scoring following a safety, and if those numbers are up compared to last year.

Giving up safeties in the CFL used to be automatic. You didn't bat an eye at it. This year, things seem to be changing...

Hi all!

I've just recently started watching the CFL (watching games online) and I've gotten hooked on the style of play. I have a few questions though. I'm currently watching the Saskatchewan vs. Hamilton game and I noticed that Hamilton gave up 3 points by downing it in the End Zone. What's up with that? Why does the other team get points for a team downing the ball? Why would Hamilton do this when they've been losing the entire game? They're giving away free points! Am I missing some kind of strategy here? Btw, I'm an American NFL fan that's finally found an alternative to boring Pre-Season NFL games and just want to be better educated on the CFL game so that I can enjoy it more.

Thanks

It's called the Safety, and you only give up 2 points (not 3). Teams do it if they're pinned deep in their own territory and don't want to give the opposition great field position. It's part of the strategy of the game. Your opponent has you pinned deep, what do you do: Concede the two points and back up the opposition or kick the ball and automatically put the opposition in field goal range?

Yeah, I know they only gave up 2 points the one time. But the second time one of the Hamilton players downed the ball in the End Zone and Saskatchewan got 1 point. What's that about?

Thanks in advance.

A single point can be scored in the CFL for kicks (punts, kickoffs, and missed field goals) that go through the endzone, or that are downed in the endzone by the return team.

If you don't run or kick the ball out of your endzone, then you've failed to advance and you give up a point... technically called a 'rouge' but the word is little used now. You might do it on purpose to gain the line of scrimmage at the 20 yard line.

Ok, thanks for the responses it makes sense now. Appreciate it.

No worries! I hope you’re enjoying the game!!!

(ps - cheer for the Riders!!!)

[/b]

Ahem… he* has already declared a loyalty. :slight_smile:

*Presumption from “DryROOSTER”

Definitely pulling for the Riders. Love the atmosphere at Mosaic Stadium. Kinda reminds me how it used to be in San Francisco when the 9ers were actually good. I’m moving up to Bellingham, Washington at the end of next month so hopefully I’ll be able to make a journey to Vancouver to see BC play.

My bad. I thought that you had taste. Oh well, the Rider’s aren’t THAT bad. :slight_smile:

Nice!

I don’t really like going to games at BC Place…but that’s because it’s not quite the same atmosphere as it is at Mosaic. But, it’s still fun. Games in the Dome just aren’t the same.

Uh-oh.

Did I jinx the Riders?

No…they seem to do this to themselves. They get a lead, and then they aren’t sure what to do with it. ARGH!

Good game by both teams (Well good game for Hamilton in the 2nd half anyway) Now that I have a site were I can watch these games online, I'll be able to get my Football fix every week.

One thing you have to remember.
IN the NFL the goal post is in the back of the end zone, in the CFL it is on the Goal line.

Whenever the CFL is punting from the 5, the equivalent in the NFL is the 15 because of the extra yards needed to kick a field goal.

The strategy in the CFL is to give up 2 and kickoff from the 25 rather that punt and have the receiving team start in field goal position

I suppose that is true. (About the goal posts being at the front of the endzone rather than the back, ala NFL) And when I think of it that way it does make a bit of sense. Although I still find it strange to GIVE the other team points. I mean, if they score they score but atleast you make them earn every yard, every point. Right? I've never seen in the pitcher walk the batter in baseball with the bases loaded based on the chance he might hit a grand slam. The whole thing of conceding the safety in the CFL is just so soft and conservative...but I suppose the CFL is a micro-cosim of our country. :lol:

You will occasionally see games similar to tonight where teams will give up points for field position, especially in Saskatchewan and Winnipeg where you'll see some games where wind is a huge factor. And like ro said, the goalposts are on the goalline, so a punt from near the endzone is almost automatically in field goal range.

:lol: . . . Plus you gotta' go 55 yards to punt it past centrefield (not centerfield). :lol: