NFL Kickoff Rule Change Receives Mixed Reviews

Citing safety, the National Football League unveiled a rule change for the 2011 season which involves moving the kickoff up from the 30 yard line to the 35. While the change was passed by a large majority of NFL owners, many players, coaches and owners agree that it will be a game changer.

The thought behind the change was that moving up the kickoff would result in deeper kickoffs, well into the end zone, and therefore fewer returns. The league believes that this change will result in fewer injuries to player because of the speed typically involved in collisions during the kickoff returns.

In addition to the placement of the ball for the kickoff, the new rule also only allows players on the kicking team a 5 yard run up behind the ball prior to the kick. Previously, players could start as much as 15 yards back. Again, the thought her is that players will not be moving as fast when they collide with other players.

While the injury statistics will take some time to accumulate, the pre-season has already provided some insight into the average number of returns. In the regular season last year, the average rate of kickoffs resulting in a touchback was about 17%. That number was very close to the same year’s pre-season average of 18.3%. The 2011 pre-season saw the number of touchbacks more than double to 39.3%, which will likely translate to a similar percentage for the regular season.

Although the new rule change will force kickoff return players to more carefully consider whether to bring a ball out from 7 or 8 yards deep in the end zone, or just take a knee, all is not lost. For NFL fans still hoping to see dramatic kickoff returns for touchdowns, Thursday night’s season opener between the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints should give them hope. In the third quarter of the game, rookie Randall Cobb for Green Bay brought the return out from 8 yards deep, and in dramatic fashion, returned it 108 yards for a touchdown.

While the rule may be a game changer, it may also serve to make the returns which are brought out of the end zone more spectacular when they do result in big gains.