Goodell considering doing away with kickoffs

[unothadeal]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...ating-kickoffs

When the NFL changed the line of scrimmage for kickoffs to increase touchbacks, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick derisively said that it was only a matter of time before the NFL eliminated kickoffs entirely. He believed that's what the NFL wanted to do.

Belichick might wind up being proven right.

Roger Goodell through the years
Take a look at photos of Roger Goodell through the years.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that he's taken it under consideration to remove the kickoff entirely.

"It's an off-the-wall idea. It's different and makes you think differently. It did me," Goodell told TIME in a cover story for the Dec. 17 issue.

Even more intriguing is an alternative concept promoted by Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano. Goodell met with the NFL competition committee chairman about the concept.

"After a touchdown or field goal, instead of kicking off, a team would get the ball on its own 30-yard line, where it's fourth and 15," TIME's Sean Gregory writes. "The options are either to go for it and try to retain possession or punt. If you go for it and fall short, of course, the opposing team would take over with good field position. In essence, a punt replaces the kickoffs."

It's an interesting idea. We haven't seen the numbers that punts are that much safer than kickoffs, but the NFL must have the data to support the notion if they were considering it.

The implications for strategy are even more intriguing. If a team is trailing by more than one score very late in the fourth quarter, they likely would to try to go for it on fourth-and-15 instead of punting. That's not an easy situation to convert, but the concept would still make it easier to make a comeback without ever giving the ball back to an opponent.

[Rain Man]

Who would go for a 4th and 15 on their own 30?

[Discuss Thrower]

What's a way to make kickoffs safer? Is the speed gunners run downfield to kill the return that makes it so unsafe? Rhetorically speaking of course.

[Rain Man]

If I was commissioner, here's what I would do.

You make the field 70 yards long, but you have two fields in parallel. You then connect them with curves in the end zone to make the thing a big race track. If a guy scores standing up, he keeps running around the track. He gets more points for getting around the curve and reaching the second field, and even more points if he can traverse that entire field. He keeps going until someone finally brings him down. If he can make it fifty laps, his team is racking up points like a pinball machine.

Now, the defensive team can choose to chase the guy, or they can run around in the other direction to stop him on the other side. If a guy is really fast and he scores, some of the defenders may chase him and others will run the opposite direction so they can stop him on the next lap. Maybe you even have a rule where the defenders can throw another guy on the field every time an endzone is crossed.

It would be loads of fun.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by unothadeal

Even more intriguing is an alternative concept promoted by Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano. Goodell met with the NFL competition committee chairman about the concept.

If Schiano wants to improve player safety, how about not telling his D-line not to lunge at the knees of the opposing players when the game is essentially over?

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Who would go for a 4th and 15 on their own 30?

A team down by 7 with 2:00 minutes remaining and a suspect defense? Then again, you have an onsides kick for that.

[mikey23545]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Who would go for a 4th and 15 on their own 30?

A team that's trailing by 7 late in the 4th quarter even after their score?

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

If I was commissioner, here's what I would do.

You make the field 70 yards long, but you have two fields in parallel. You then connect them with curves in the end zone to make the thing a big race track. When a team has the ball, they get points for every end zone that they cross. If a guy scores, he keeps running around the track. He gets more points for reaching the second field, and even more points if he can traverse that entire field. He keeps going until someone finally brings him down.

Now, the defensive team can choose to chase the guy, or they can run around in the other direction to stop him on the other side. If a guy is really fast and he scores, some of the defenders may chase him and others will run the opposite direction so they can stop him on the next lap.

It would be loads of fun.

Just make it a 110 yard oval with two 5 yard end zones. You get 3 points every time you cross an end zone. The interior oval (non playing surface) is divided into two regions that replace the sidelines. Call it Trackball.

[Discuss Thrower]

**** it, replace onsides kick situation with a rugby scrum (or ruck) with the same rules. Place the ball dead center of the 50 and let them maul it out. Once a side gets the ball they get to advance it as far as they want, then resume normal play rules.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Who would go for a 4th and 15 on their own 30?

It would basically replace the onside kick, and I think teams would convert more often on 4th and 15 than trying for an onside kick. Pretty gimmicky though.



And I agree with Talking Can and |Zach|... there might be one or two games per week that are really worth watching, whenever two elite QBs play each other... but, it's an incredibly mediocre league that's been going downhill for ~5 years now (at least that's when I first started noticing it). These days, it doesn't even start to get interesting until the 2nd round of the playoffs.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by listopencil

Just make it a 110 yard oval with two 5 yard end zones. You get 3 points every time you cross an end zone. The interior oval (non playing surface) is divided into two regions that replace the sidelines. Call it Trackball.

That works for me.

Maybe you don't even give up the ball when you score. You just keep pushing around the track until the other team can stop you.

This would also be a very fun system to watch on defensive turnovers. Some linebacker makes an interception and takes off running. How long does it take to catch him? I think it would be a blast.

Maybe we should invent a new league for this. I think it would surpass football pretty quickly.

[suds79]

Heard a guy on the radio make a great point.

You know why they'll never get rid of kickoffs? Because of commercials.

As it stands now...

TD!, extra point... Commercial

Kickoff.... Commercial.

Finally back to play.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

That works for me.

Maybe you don't even give up the ball when you score. You just keep pushing around the track until the other team can stop you.

This would also be a very fun system to watch on defensive turnovers. Some linebacker makes an interception and takes off running. How long does it take to catch him? I think it would be a blast.

Maybe we should invent a new league for this. I think it would surpass football pretty quickly.

Yeah, that's what I am thinking. Three points each time you have possession through the entire end zone. Passes out of bounds would be tricky. A QB could clip the interior oval on a pass, getting the ball to a receiver from outside of the field of play.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

It would basically replace the onside kick, and I think teams would convert more often on 4th and 15 than trying for an onside kick. Pretty gimmicky though.



And I agree with Talking Can and |Zach|... there might be one or two games per week that are really worth watching, whenever two elite QBs play each other... but, it's an incredibly mediocre league that's been going downhill for ~5 years now (at least that's when I first started noticing it). These days, it doesn't even start to get interesting until the 2nd round of the playoffs.

I know a lot of people disagree with this as old and behind the times and that is ok but I really miss running games. Hard hitting...really good run defenses. It just feels like a different game now and not for the better.

It is what it is I suppose....feeling apathetic though.

[GoChargers]

Originally Posted by philfree

So with field goals it's still difficult.

Without field goals it's even more challenging, since coaches have to actually, you know, call a play instead of resorting to pussy points.

[ModSocks]

Originally Posted by suds79

Heard a guy on the radio make a great point.

You know why they'll never get rid of kickoffs? Because of commercials.

As it stands now...

TD!, extra point... Commercial

Kickoff.... Commercial.

Finally back to play.

The commercials would still be there.

TD! extra point...commercial

4th and 15 attempt

Commercial.