Football Should we increase the length of a football field to 120 yards?

**Rain Man** · 10-13-2020, 05:05 PM

The length of a football field hasn't changed since Jim Thorpe was bowling over George Halas, but the game has changed immensely.

Back when Thorpe and Halas were playing, 100 yards was an immense distance. You were gaining three yards and a cloud of dust, and there was no passing game to speak of. You had to brute force your way down the field like General Grant in the Wilderness Campaign.

And kickers and punters? Forget about it. Other than Sammy Baugh, a 35 yard punt was a good day.

Now look at what we've got. Kickers already have an effective 120 yard field given that the goal posts were moved to the back of the end zone, but they're still making field goals from beyond midfield. Kickoffs are a boring joke because kickers put the ball in the stands. And punters are so strong that distance isn't an issue any more. It's placement of the punt.

Now let's look at offenses. The game of football is all about passing now, and the rules are slanted to the passers' advantage. Half the time the only thing that can stop an offense is a mistake or mis-execution on their part. Scoring is way up and excitement is way down.

Now let's consider a world with a 120 yard field. What happens?

1. You have a larger stadium that can sell more tickets. Owners like it and fans like it.

2. The kickoff return makes a comeback.

3. It lowers scoring while keeping the passing game electric, because the offense is more likely to make a mistake.

4. Long passes and runs become more common. People get excited about those. At the same time, having a fast defender makes it more likely that you'll have an interesting chase where the defender can win.

5. Field goals are de-emphasized since the average field goal attempt will be notably longer.

6. The run game could have a resurgence because a strong running team can drain almost an entire quarter off the clock with a long drive.

I think the time has come to adjust the length of the field. This is the 21st century, and we're still using fields from the 1920s.

View Poll Results: What's your opinion about changing the length of the field?
I like the 120 yard field concept. Let's do it.	12	16.44%
A longer field would be good, but I'll propose a different length than 120 yards.	0	0%
I think the field should be shorter for reasons that I'll explain.	0	0%
I'd like to stick with the classic 100 yard length, please.	57	78.08%
I don't think length matters on a football field. It's all about execution.	2	2.74%
I think the field should be round with a 100 yard radius. I'll explain why.	2	2.74%
Voters: 73. You may not vote on this poll

10-13-2020, 05:05 PM	Topic Starter
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $1838491 VARSITY	Should we increase the length of a football field to 120 yards? The length of a football field hasn't changed since Jim Thorpe was bowling over George Halas, but the game has changed immensely. Back when Thorpe and Halas were playing, 100 yards was an immense distance. You were gaining three yards and a cloud of dust, and there was no passing game to speak of. You had to brute force your way down the field like General Grant in the Wilderness Campaign. And kickers and punters? Forget about it. Other than Sammy Baugh, a 35 yard punt was a good day. Now look at what we've got. Kickers already have an effective 120 yard field given that the goal posts were moved to the back of the end zone, but they're still making field goals from beyond midfield. Kickoffs are a boring joke because kickers put the ball in the stands. And punters are so strong that distance isn't an issue any more. It's placement of the punt. Now let's look at offenses. The game of football is all about passing now, and the rules are slanted to the passers' advantage. Half the time the only thing that can stop an offense is a mistake or mis-execution on their part. Scoring is way up and excitement is way down. Now let's consider a world with a 120 yard field. What happens? 1. You have a larger stadium that can sell more tickets. Owners like it and fans like it. 2. The kickoff return makes a comeback. 3. It lowers scoring while keeping the passing game electric, because the offense is more likely to make a mistake. 4. Long passes and runs become more common. People get excited about those. At the same time, having a fast defender makes it more likely that you'll have an interesting chase where the defender can win. 5. Field goals are de-emphasized since the average field goal attempt will be notably longer. 6. The run game could have a resurgence because a strong running team can drain almost an entire quarter off the clock with a long drive. I think the time has come to adjust the length of the field. This is the 21st century, and we're still using fields from the 1920s.
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