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

[Rain Man]

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.

[ChiefsCountry]

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

better to make one side 50 yards and the other 70. Both teams have to play each end. adds drama and viewer interest. And penalties will add or subtract from the playing field. Make it all virtual.

Oh, I really like that.

[ChiefsFanatic]

Did anyone point out that a football field is ALREADY 120 yards long. Sorry, at work and can't read thread.

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[dj56dt58]

Originally Posted by Dunerdr

I think kickers should get a kick off run at field goals.

I think a kickoff that goes through the uprights should count as a field goal. Butler did that a few weeks ago after missing a pat

[dj56dt58]

Originally Posted by Gravedigger

Clearly almost every football stadium was constructed with a 100 yard football field in mind. You're expecting all stadiums to conform to a new standard, pay for construction and lose revenue at the same time? You did understand the basic math of it all right?

That’s why I like the idea of 15 yard first downs. It makes it more difficult without changing the dimensions. I was actually thinking about this the day before this thread. 10 yard first downs are just too easy. They get them off simple swing passes constantly because guys are so fast

[Hydrae]

I'd like to stick with the classic 100 yard length, please.

And don't even start mentioning the metric crap!

[patteeu]

I like the idea of narrowing the space between the uprights too. My main goal would be to reduce the effective range of FG kickers (or in the 120 yard proposal, reduce the effective range relative to the overall field length).

[kccrow]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

That's the really interesting part about a length change. If you change the width of the field, it changes everything. The personnel will adjust toward smaller players, the play design will adjust toward more outside passes and runs, and the game will fundamentally change.

But if you change the length, the changes are more subdued. It really affects the kicking game, but otherwise I don't think it would change the prototype players at each position or the types of plays that are called. It would bring positive benefits without a lot of unintended impacts.

It's purposeful. The current width is 53-1/3 yards so you're not adding but 3 yards to each sideline. But it does give a tad bit back to the offense with slightly more space to spread things out. That said, moving the hashes out further in my proposal also adversely affects the offense. The current distance is 18 ft 6 inches, so you're moving the hashes out nearly another 12 feet. So now you've consumed the 3 yards of extra width plus another yard to the narrow side of the field. This dictates the spread of the offense and negates some of what you say here. The wider hashes and higher goal post will also adversely impact the kicking game. Plus, the entire proposal evens everything out. 120 x 60 yard field plus 10 yard endzones, hashes 10 yards apart. Mathematically it's simplistic.

[Brody Wa]

I would like to see extra points eliminated from football.

[scho63]

I wanna see a field of 53 1/2 yards long by 100 yards wide.

That will rack up the points for sure!

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by scho63

I wanna see a field of 53 1/2 yards long by 100 yards wide.

That will rack up the points for sure!

[SuperBowl4]

I would like to see the field remain 120 yards but a slight curve. The 50 yard line being the high point and then gradually decreasing towards both end zones.

[CarlosCarson27]

They'll have to make the field wider for covid. So linemen are six feet apart etc