Beyond all the details of the new rule, the way I see it, the new emergency third quarterback rule essentially has only upside and no downside.
In a way, this new rule reminds me of the NHL’s emergency 3rd goalie protocol, except the third quarterback in the NFL is generally a more accomplished player just to make it to the NFL, instead of like that accountant who was summoned for the Blackhawks years ago to play the game of his life and ensure the win, who maybe was king of his beer league who had played at the amateur level many moons ago.
Here’s head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos with some thoughts on the new kickoff rule.
There were only four kickoff return touchdowns during the 2023 season, which is an extremely low number when you consider that there were nine return touchdowns as recently as 2020. Payton clearly thinks the number of kickoff return touchdowns could approach the 2020 number with the new rule.
I think this strategy by the Chiefs is great, but this example is also a reminder of how fragile the game can be when rules are changed such that most changes should only be made with great caution.
This is also why I only like 75% of the NFL owners to be able to approve changes in the rules rather than any given number of bojacks who are fans who have all those cool ideas, sort of like that hub league concept that was burned with the trash where it belonged and ESPN’s undue influence on also NCAA Pro Football over the years.
Dr. Goalposts, I’ve patiently waited almost five days and after all the games are done.
The preceding posts should be under review.
These two posts go together as two NFL coaches have clearly expressed or acted early so as to indicate their ideas about strategy via the new rule.
After you have had a chance to run these samples through your kicking laboratory and of course include a test run with a placebo, but of course WITHOUT the use of any microchipped kicking balls as have been OUTLAWED on at least this forum, what say you?
Also bring back Wendy’s kick for a million for all the leagues. I’m not just saying that so that maybe we can score some overdue free Wendy’s in here.
Did you know in the US where I live and in general, it’s so hard to find a good one any more! Indeed they ruined Wendy’s too. Dave Thomas would be so ashamed, but maybe we can get a hold of him via seance to help …never mind that’s another thread.
This upcoming season is going to be quite interesting.
If the Chiefs decide to use a safety for kickoffs, they could perform very well in the NFL. An extra player who is skilled at tackling can be a big advantage.
Sean Payton’s expertise in special teams makes his prediction about new kicking styles from top kickers credible. While I doubt we’ll see as many touchdowns as he anticipates, we can probably expect to see over ten throughout the season due to the use of heavier players on coverage teams.
I predict kickoff distances will average between 62-65 yards, with a significant decrease in touchbacks, possibly down to about 6% of all kickoffs. Here is the XFL League-Wide Data for this style of kickoffs across about 360 attempts;
The revival of the returner position is incredibly exciting and could be one of the best aspects of these changes. Currently, the only true return specialist who stands out is Devonte Turpin, who came from the spring leagues last year.
I am a fan of innovation, however, I think that changing the kickoff in this way is going to hurt the league. The XFL kickoff was weird. It was unnatural and made the league look amateur. It will obviously take a few weeks to iron things out but I’m not sure the casual fan will like the finished product.
In conclusion, the CFL still has the best kickoff and it will never be topped!
Wow! What a report fresh from the lab! I think you are onto a whole lot here too. Thank you.
I’m holding out for other unintended consequences, good and bad or just different, such as diminished importance of having that power kickoff leg any more be it from the punter or the kicker.
Here is a clarification question with regards to the table.
What is the difference between minor touchback and major touchback?
Maybe there is something about the new rules with regards to touchbacks that I don’t understand here.
I had written a whole paragraph about it in my original reply but decided against including it as I thought it was a bit in depth for the discussion at hand but I really should have included it regardless. It’s one of the best things about the new kickoff style.
The touchback system in the XFL style kickoff introduces strategy we havn’t seen before in kickoffs.
There are two types of touchbacks that can occur, and its very similar to the way punting works in the CFL.
A Major Touchback will be handed out if the ball sails into the endzone. A few things can happen. Either the ball will land inside the endzone and roll out of bounds, or a returner can field the ball and take a knee, which will both result in the ball coming out to the 30-yard line (it was the 35-yard line in the XFL, which I think they should have kept). This is a “bad” touchback.
The “good” touchback, known as a Minor Touchback, will occur when the ball lands in the field of play and rolls/bounces into the endzone. If the ball then goes OoB or the returner kneels in the endzone, the Minor Touchback will result in favourable field position for the kicking team, and will come out to the 20-yard line (it was the 15-yard line in the XFL, but I think the 20 is more appropriate).
In addition to these two touchback rules, the ball must reach the 20-yard line or else the ball will come all the way out to the 40-yard line. In the XFL a penalty resulted in the ball coming all the way to the kicking teams 40-yard line, which was excessive and unfair.
NFL kickoffs are no longer about kicking the ball the farthest, it’s about being good enough to put the pigskin in that landing zone consistently. Substituting another player who is more of a sure tackler over your kicker is an idea worth considering. Under this new format, players who are not the kicker or returner are not allowed to move until the ball is fielded. This sets up a loose “line of scrimmage,” if you will, that the returner will have to break through. If the returner is successful in doing so, the kicker will be that last player who can save a touchdown.
All I know is that I don’t know what the NFL kickoffs are about any longer. The CFL nails this with kickers not as strong usually compared with NFL kickers and a longer field.
Does the NFL want to get rid of the kickoffs or don’t they? Not a clue. I do have a clue with the CFL, they defintely still want this in the game.
Basically the NFL doesn’t have a friggin clue about kickoffs. But doesn’t matter, they will continue to be huge money makers for the league and owners, it’s the NFL afterall. Unfortunately the NFL with the best athletes, “biggest and fastest” for the most part, play on a rinky dink field and this is a problem for that league. But doesn’t matter, the NFL is the no. 1 football league, gridiron so is what it is.
Just hire kickers in the NFL, they have the money to pay, to kick the ball out of the endzone. Guess what, any kickoff through the endzone can’t be returned for a td while any kick otherwise can. You want to eliminate kickoffs returned for tds, stating the obvious. Rinky dink field, make sure your kicker just kicks the ball through the rinky dink endzone. Not rocket science. Or the NFL as the kickers get even better as time goes by, if they want some more returns, kickoff from further back. What does the NFL exactly want, with the money they pay kickers, kickers are just going to become stronger and more athletic and kicking the pigskin farther as time goes by. The CFL has this one nailed, less stronger kickers and not a rinky dink field.
When the Chiefs were the first to announce this strategy last week, I had a feeling more teams would take notice, for why not if you don’t need the kicker, or a punter who does the kickoffs, to do kickoffs any more anyway?
Now Dr. Goalposts and I and others will continue to study the matter in the gridiron labs.
/Grabs gridiron-themed lab coat
//Puts lit pipe with sage back in mouth
///Nods
////Walks away
I don’t know. I’m not sure that I understand the question either. But those crazy Chiefs just signed “The Punt God” this off-season so I have to believe that Andy Reid knows something that no one else knows (besides fast food options).
I think you are on to something again there you good galoot.
Who amongst you here has not been led to occasional good ideas via consumption of fast food?
Now this is not the place to answer right now of course, so there is no hurry, but by jove Andy Reid is onto something!
He has the following lined up for special teams kicking.
Field Goals - Jesus Butker
Punts - Punt God
Kickoff - Safety Justin Reid (no relation)
Safety Kick - Probably Punt God, but as it’s for safety, he is in the wrong domain this time, so Safety Reid is probably going to have to fight Punt God for it on the sideline.
Anyway, as this “strategery” all sounds so complicated now,
back to your fast food menus with those numbers,
which was a genius invention at the point of sale to accommodate especially the more overweight and salivating clientele.
Thank you again for your contribution and participation in our important gridiron laboratory research.
Here is an article that in my opinion buries the lede, which not this exception for a 12th man ONLY on kickoffs.
And now the plot thickens as the rule looks to be confusing, for there is a loophole already that perhaps could be exploited by the return team. I do not like this.
Note that it’s NOT the 12th man that is the issue, who is the holder on the kickoff and who must exit the field immediately after the ball is kicked.
There is now also a silly new game of “footsie” waiting to be played for the sake of the new “landing zone.”
Here’s also a clarification on the new rules that is not different than the prior kickoff rule when a one-inch tee was used.
But there are other alternatives on ball placement with the tee or without the tee, as explained.
In a memo that was sent out on July 25, the league let all 32 teams know that kickers will NOT be allowed to place the football sideways on the tee for a kickoff. When the ball is placed on a tee for a kickoff, it can only be elevated a maximum of one inch off the ground. If the ball is placed on the tee horizontally, then it ends up being about 1.5 inches off the ground, which is why the NFL is prohibiting the horizontal set up.
Hmm, I’ll just have to see how these new rules “look” and “play out” come game time. Haven’t delved enough into this reading about it yet or listening to people talking about it. Not sure if this will be “good” for the NFL game or “bad” for the NFL game?
