The New NFL's "Hybrid Kickoff" Proposal

[Lzen]

Thought this was interesting. It should be wild if this is implemented (possibly this season).

[ChiefsCountry]

If it's the XFL model, it would be a good rule change

[DaFace]

I like it in concept, but man...that's a lot of convoluted rules. I'd be more in favor of it if they simplified it a bit.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

If it's the XFL model, it would be a good rule change

I don't know exactly what is the XFL model but I believe they said it was a hybrid of that and the old NFL model.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I like it in concept, but man...that's a lot of convoluted rules. I'd be more in favor of it if they simplified it a bit.

I agree. Seems rather complex. Though it does sound a lot more fun and interesting than watching the kickoff go through the end zone 90% of the time. Should be wild.

[Sassy Squatch]

It's not THAT convoluted once you sit down and read it a bit but holy shit is it unnecessarily complicated.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by Lzen

I agree. Seems rather complex. Though it does sound a lot more fun and interesting than watching the kickoff go through the end zone 90% of the time. Should be wild.

I think the most insane part is it's actually going to punish kickers badly for doing that going forward. The ball gets put at the THIRTY FIVE if it lands in the end zone or out the back of it.

[Sassy Squatch]

The kickoff team would follow the current alignment rules, with the 10 cover players, excluding only the kicker, required to have a foot on the opponent’s 40-yard line.

The bulk of the return team would be in a so-called “setup zone”, between the 30- and 35-yard line. At least nine players would have to be in that area, and six of them would have to have a foot on the 35.

Teams would then put one or two returners in the “landing zone,” which would be between the 20-yard and the goal line.

No one would be allowed to move other than the kicker and returners until the ball was fielded by a man on the return team.

No fair catches.

To incentivize creating returns, if the ball landed in the end zone, or went through the end zone, on the fly, a touchback would take the ball out to the 35-yard line.

If the ball, on the other hand, bounced in the landing zone, and was then downed in the end zone, a touchback would only take the ball to the 20-yard line.

If the ball didn’t get past the 20-yard line on the fly, it’d be treated as an out-of-bounds kick, and the offense would take possession on the 40.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Sassy Squatch

The kickoff team would follow the current alignment rules, with the 10 cover players, excluding only the kicker, required to have a foot on the opponent’s 40-yard line.

The bulk of the return team would be in a so-called “setup zone”, between the 30- and 35-yard line. At least nine players would have to be in that area, and six of them would have to have a foot on the 35.

Teams would then put one or two returners in the “landing zone,” which would be between the 20-yard and the goal line.

No one would be allowed to move other than the kicker and returners until the ball was fielded by a man on the return team.

No fair catches.

To incentivize creating returns, if the ball landed in the end zone, or went through the end zone, on the fly, a touchback would take the ball out to the 35-yard line.

If the ball, on the other hand, bounced in the landing zone, and was then downed in the end zone, a touchback would only take the ball to the 20-yard line.

If the ball didn’t get past the 20-yard line on the fly, it’d be treated as an out-of-bounds kick, and the offense would take possession on the 40.

I get why they want to do this, but I think I'd rather they just go back to the old kickoff spot (30 yard line I think?) so that it's harder to boot it through the end zone. Or hell, move it back even further so that only the biggest legs can get it there.

[Monticore]

Kickers having fun o thread the needle or else you give the other team the ball at 40 makes late game situations more entertaining and there will be TDs from this , once you get by the initial line your gone .

[FlaChief58]

It's definitely a little over complicated, but I'm fine with it if it brings back some excitement to kickoffs

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I get why they want to do this, but I think I'd rather they just go back to the old kickoff spot (30 yard line I think?) so that it's harder to boot it through the end zone. Or hell, move it back even further so that only the biggest legs can get it there.

Move it back, keep the alignment of the "Hybrid" rule and the can't move til it hits the ground or is caught. The ball cannot touch the ground before the 35 where the receiving team lines up or its treated like an OB kick and the offense starts at the 40.

[Shag]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I get why they want to do this, but I think I'd rather they just go back to the old kickoff spot (30 yard line I think?) so that it's harder to boot it through the end zone. Or hell, move it back even further so that only the biggest legs can get it there.

The idea is that the NFL wants to encourage returns, but without the huge collisions that happen with a 40yd running start. While this new approach is a little convoluted, I think it accomplishes the safety improvement for the NFL, and brings back returns for the fans.

[ScareCrowe]

I like it other than the onside kick, granted it doesn't really change the existing onside kick rules much so it's no worse than it currently is, but to me one of the biggest things that was lost in the new kickoff rules was the onside kick became completely useless. Which takes games that could have possibly had a comeback & instead the game is just basically over when you're up more than 8 pts with under 3 minutes left.

Would love to see them allow the kicking team to recover in the landing zone, or even the area where all the blockers are located. So they would attempt a kick that would land as close to the 20 as possible & once it hits the ground both teams scramble for it. Would still allow for surprise onside kicks & actually give it a chance of being successful even when the opposition knows it's coming.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Sassy Squatch

If the ball didn’t get past the 20-yard line on the fly, it’d be treated as an out-of-bounds kick, and the offense would take possession on the 40.

An interesting side effect is that this would effectively end squib kicks.