Kicked To The Curb! Are We Seeing The Death Of The Kickoff?

I've written several times this year about some of the rule changes in the NFL that have made it more difficult to defend and has led to the offensive outburst that we saw this year. There have been some other changes that have been noticeable in the game as well. These changes have been made in relation to the kicking game. The changes have had a big impact in terms of player safety but at the same time, they have essentially rendered the Kickoff as obsolete.

The rule changes in relation to kicking were made because of the high number of injuries that are incurred on the kickoff, especially concussions. The kickoff is a play that gets these athletes moving and colliding at very high speeds and that is a recipe for injuries. It was decided that something had to be done to make the kickoffs safer for the players.

The changes made this year are as follows:

1. The players on the kickoff team are no longer allowed to get a running start. In the past, they could line up on the 30-yard line and run up as the kicker approached the ball. Now, they must line up no more than 1 yard behind the ball so they basically start from a standing position.  This change has decreased the rate of speed players achieve and therefore the collisions are not at such a high speed 
2. The receiving team must now have 8 of their players within 15 yards of the kickoff line and they must stay within their lanes. Essentially, teams can no longer wedge block. This makes it more difficult to spring free for big returns and acts as a deterrent for running the ball back.
3. The returning player no longer has to take possession of the ball and take a knee for a touchback. In the past, there was always a window of opportunity for an error that could lead to extra hits and the kickoff team even scoring a TD. These mistakes could still be made once the ball has been brought out of the end zone but with the new rule, the ball is ruled dead for a touchback as soon as it touches the end zone. The player no longer has to make contact with the ball at all. This has led to a massive decrease in kicks even being fielded at all.
4. The kicking team must have 5 players lined up on either side of the kicker. This prevents teams from loading up on one side, a strategy used primarily for onside kicks. This has led to a significant reduction in the number of onside kicks attempted.

To sum things up, basically, the rule changes have made the kickoff obsolete. I agree that they are much safer and there has been a huge reduction in the number of injuries caused during kickoffs but I don't see that as being the changes in the way the kickoff is played. Rather, I see it as a result of the kickoff just not being played anymore. I have watched a lot of football this season and attended a game in Buffalo and it is very rare that you see a player bring one out of the end zone and attempt a return. If the ball reaches the end zone at all, the common pay is to let it go and take the touchback and get the ball at the 25-yard line. Furthermore, it is almost pointless for teams to even bother attempting an onside kick anymore and when they are rarely attempted, they have very little chance of being recovered.

If I am being honest, I would have to say that kickoffs are a huge waste of time at this point. They were only moderately exciting before this year and now they are downright boring and a time killer. I really think we are at a point were the kickoff could be completely removed from the game and nobody would miss it at all. For years, people have been saying that there is really no need for the kickoff in the game for the little bit of potential excitement that we get but traditionalists have pushed to keep it around because it has been part of the game for such a long time.

I would be perfectly ok with teams starting at the 25-yard line after a touchdown by the opposing team. Eliminate the kickoff all together and speed up the game. The one concern with adopting a no kickoff rule where teams automatically get the ball at the 25 is the loss of a teams opportunity to try an onside kick to get the ball back when trailing.

There has been an option floated around that I heard about on the radio that would be very interesting from an excitement perspective and deal with the loss of the onside kick. The idea is that the team that just scored could choose to attempt one play from its own 30-yard line. If they are able to convert a 10-yard conversion for a first down on that one play, then they could keep possession of the ball and stay on offense. This would add some huge drama to a game and I can personally see it being attempted more often than an onside kick. My only concern would be that very strong teams would potentially have an advantage over teams with a weak defense. Even still, it would be a very risky play by any coach and one that could cost coaches jobs if they fail to often.

Whatever they decide to do, I think removing the kickoff would be a good idea. New leagues like the AAFL are already planning to play without kickoffs and the response from fans has been positive. What are your thoughts on the kickoff? Do you think thye still have a place in the game or are they a waste of time? Would you like the 1st down attempt to get the ball back? I look forward to hearing your thoughts.