Drastic changes coming to the NFL in the not too distant future?

[CtCardinals78]

I heard Bickley and MJ talking about this yesterday. MJ was saying how the NFL wants to eliminate kickoffs forever. It sounds like teams would just be starting out at their 20. With all the concussions, the lawsuit, bountygate, speculation of HGH use throughout the league, bigger and faster players, players with serious injuries and a commissioner who tends towards player safety, it possible the NFL will start to alter the game as we know it. MJ said the no kickoff seed has already been planted and it's only a matter of time before they go away.

As a fan I'm torn because I love football the way it is, but at the same time I don't like all the long term, damaging effects it has on some players.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Until things go back to the times where people took, and where held to the responsibilities that come with their own actions things will continue to change.

With players, playing the injury card like a smoker who complains he didn't know cigarettes gave you cancer, I can only see the game getting less and less physical, and more and more like an over-hyped passing skeleton competition.

I understand the want to make the game safer, but there is a point to where the realization that the players, the organizations, and the league must realize they are playing a football. It is a physical sport, and no body is holding guns to these players' collective heads and forcing them out onto the field. They have known the risks of injury since they started playing in pop Warner.

If you are scared of getting hurt, then don't go on the field.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The first thing they need to do is to improve their testing program. The next thing they need to do is impose a lifetime ban for first time offenders of their PED program. Neither of those can occur without the full support of the NFLPA which, unfortunately, isn't likely to happen.

Steve

 

[Proteus]

Maybe they should just play flag football then.

 

[40yearfan]

I guess they aren't earning enough money to put themselves in jeopardy.

 

[Fitz Rulz]

no onside kicks anymore ?

 

[A fan who cares]

Ugh. I'm all for player safety but taking out parts of the game isn't what should happen. Instead they should adjust the rules some more. Maybe kicking out of bounds is legal? Maybe touchbacks are placed on the 25 or 30, which encourages touchbacks more? Just don't take out the most exciting play in football.

And what about punts on 4th down? Punts after safety? Players get laid out on that play and injured as well. We could never see PP tie the punt return record in his rookie year if they banned that play. If they take out kickoffs they have to take out punts because it's pretty much an identical problem for injuries.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

no onside kicks anymore ?

Exactly.

That takes a huge part of "keeping it interesting" out of the game. That would equate to more games being over even earlier, and less ratings.

The Saints "surprise-onside" would have never happened. Just Peyton Manning at the 20 to start the half.

 

[seesred]

There are helmets that have more padding helping to prevent head injuries. The NFL should demand that all teams buy this helmet which is available now. Only a few players use it now.

GBR
40

 

[cardpa]

Not sure what to think about this. I always liked watching the kickoff play. And as someone else mentioned how do you keep the onsides kick in play if you eliminate kickoffs. It is an integral part of the game and a game changer.

How about they eliminate the tee. The kicker would have to lay the ball on the ground sideways to kick it. It certainly would not travel as far as it does now and they could adjust the yard line they kick off from based on how far this type of kick would go. It would certainly add some excitement for the returner handling a ball kicked like this.

 

[Duckjake]

Exactly.

That takes a huge part of "keeping it interesting" out of the game. That would equate to more games being over even earlier, and less ratings.

The Saints "surprise-onside" would have never happened. Just Peyton Manning at the 20 to start the half.

No more ""Music City Miracles"?

 

[crisper57]

Not sure what to think about this. I always liked watching the kickoff play. And as someone else mentioned how do you keep the onsides kick in play if you eliminate kickoffs. It is an integral part of the game and a game changer.

How about they eliminate the tee. The kicker would have to lay the ball on the ground sideways to kick it. It certainly would not travel as far as it does now and they could adjust the yard line they kick off from based on how far this type of kick would go. It would certainly add some excitement for the returner handling a ball kicked like this.

Heard someone on the radio suggest that the kickoff be turned into a punt from the 50 yard line. That way, it slows down the speed of players getting down the field, keeps the kicking game in play, etc. Yes, it would probably eliminate the on-side kick, but it would trade that excitement off with the potential to block the punt.

They said that option intrigued Goodell.

I agree there has to be a way to keep the on-side kick in play. I guess a fake punt that advances the ball over 10 yards would and would allow the kicking team to keep the ball would work, but I'd miss the old way.

 

[crisper57]

Just give them the old leather helmets and watch head injuries go down. Most of those kinds of injuries come from leading with the head, which no one would do if they couldn't count on their headgear for protection.

 

[spanky1]

I was listening to Charlotte's sports radio moments ago and Frank Garcia presented a plausible thought.....expand the width of the field by five yards on each side. He said this would spread out both offense and defense creating less congestion.

It works in the CFL

 

[Southpaw]

Maybe the NFL should look closely at some new rules instituted by the NCAA for 2012.

The NCAA has announced today that its Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved a number of changes to the football rulebook for the upcoming season. The goal of the changes — more player safety:



1. Kickoffs will move from the 30-yard line to the 35. Expect more touchbacks and fewer returns.

2. Players on the kick coverage units cannot line up more than five yards off the ball. This prevents them from getting a longer, running start which should lessen the impact of some collisions.

3. Touchbacks on free kicks — ie: kickoffs — will bring the ball out to the 25-yard line rather than to the 20. Again, the goal is to encourage more touchbacks and less returns. Punts and other plays that go into the end zone — ie: fumbles through the end zone — will still be brought out to the 20.

4. If a player loses his helmet, it will be treated as an injury and the player must leave the field of play for one play. Expect to see more players buckle their chin straps in 2012. (In case you’re wondering, this rule does not apply if an opponent rips or “facemasks” a player’s helmet off.)

5. Offensive players in the tackle box at the snap of the ball who are not in motion will be allowed to block below the waist legally and without restriction. However, all other players are restricted from blocking below the waist with only a few exceptions (such as straight-ahead blocks).

6. Players will be prohibited from jumping over blockers in an attempt to block a punt.

Then there is Kurt Warner's statement yesterday about his own kids playing football.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/kurt-warner-doesn-t-want-kids-playing-football-164623626.html

Asked if he would prefer that his sons not play football, Warner answered, "Yes, I would. Can't make that choice for them if they want to, but there's no question in my mind."

BTW IMO Amani Toomer is an illiterate *******

 

[Duckjake]

I was listening to Charlotte's sports radio moments ago and Frank Garcia presented a plausible thought.....expand the width of the field by five yards on each side. He said this would spread out both offense and defense creating less congestion.

It works in the CFL

I've been saying the field was too small for years now. They're still playing on the same sized field as they did 100 years ago when Defensive Ends were 5'10 and weighed 175lbs. It's why the NFL is a passing league now. There just isn't enough room to run the ball with a bunch of 6'5" 260lb guys who run 4.6 forties and 6'4" 325lbs guys on it. The 1947 Championship team only had 4 players that weighed over 230lbs. Now we have about 35 over 230lbs.

The problem is having the room to do it. I don't know if most of the stadiums have enough space between the field and row 1 for an expansion. So you'd have major renovations of the stadiums involved.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Just give them the old leather helmets and watch head injuries go down. Most of those kinds of injuries come from leading with the head, which no one would do if they couldn't count on their headgear for protection.

Agreed.

From experience I will tell you that it only takes one stupid tackle to make you change your technique once you play a contact sport with no helmet.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Then there is Kurt Warner's statement yesterday about his own kids playing football.

His choice.

But, BLECK!

 

[Southpaw]

I've been saying the field was too small for years now. They're still playing on the same sized field as they did 100 years ago when Defensive Ends we're 5'10 and weighed 175lbs. It's why the NFL is a passing league now. There just isn't enough room to run the ball with a bunch of 6'5" 260lb guys who run 4.6 forties and 6'4" 325lbs guys on it. The 1947 Championship team only had 4 players that weighed over 230lbs. Now we have about 35 over 230lbs.

The problem is having the room to do it. I don't know if most of the stadiums have enough space between the field and row 1 for an expansion. So you'd have major renovations of the stadiums involved.

I would like to see this happen, but I can imagine a whole bunch of asterisks going into the record books. Bring back the old AFL.

 

[ARZCardinals]

lets just use robots...until someone is scared for the robots...

play the freaking game it was made to be played....it's' football...there are kickoffs...that's how we start the game.

I'll puke if they drop kickoffs

 

[Jetstream Green]

Get rid of the kick off????????????????????? Why? Oh, people get hit...you don't say...duh. People get hit all the time, it's football. I know, why don't we just become the NFFL as in the National Flag Football League and then the NFL can ban that for players straining their wrists and back from reaching to pull the flag out.

 

[Duckjake]

Get rid of the kick off????????????????????? Why? Oh, people get hit...you don't say...duh. People get hit all the time, it's football. I know, why don't we just become the NFFL as in the National Flag Football League and then the NFL can ban that for players straining their wrists and back from reaching to pull the flag out.

You know I think more people get injured playing flag football than tackle football. I had a pancake fracture of a vertebrae from flag football about 35 years ago. Son of gun still hurts today if I have to stand too long. The finger I broke playing tackle football looks weird but doesn't hurt near as much.

I do remember hitting a receiver in the back with my helmet, anyone who played in the 60s remembers we were taught to lead with our helmets, and for the next few minutes everything I saw was tinged in green. Probably why I'm so loony today.

 

[Jetstream Green]

and that totally screws up the other rule because they always tell you to also NOT hit anyone if you can read their name on back of the jersey...I was from a small Texas town where schools could not afford such fancy stuff, so I suffered from that too LOL. I remember I once hit a guy while playing corner from a full run and was so proud of myself till it dawned on me that he was just a WR blocking on a sweep in my direction, they had a big back and he plowed me over while I was just standing there admiring my hit on the guy who did not have the ball

 

[JeffGollin]

no onside kicks anymore ?

Greg Schiano had lunch with Roger Goodell recently and proposed that KOs be replaced by punts from the 30. A provision for fake punts would be a replacement for onside kicks.

Goodell is said to be seriously considering the proposal.

 

[ryanshaug]

Wow...just wow. I'm all for making the game safer, but that would be too far in my eyes...