Thoughts about the new rules

[-X-]

Kickoff return touchbacks will be brought out to the 25 yard line.

Just get rid of kickoffs altogether if you're gonna keep widdling away at it. Several years ago 11% of all kickoffs were touchbacks, because they were being kicked from the 30. Then a few years later they moved it up to the 35, and all of a sudden 50% of all kickoffs were touchbacks. Now they're giving teams the option of just starting from the 25, which will of course make 99% of coaches instruct their returners to just down the ball when receiving it in the endzone. I get it - it's a violent play, like the battle scenes out of Braveheart. Guys running full speed into other guys for (at best) a 25 yard return. So just quit fucking around and outlaw kickoffs altogether if you're gonna keep degrading the play to this level.

Automatic ejection for two personal fouls.

Awwwwwwwwssssooommmmmme. Which team in the league comes to mind as it relates to getting under another team's skin? Calling it right now. The Rams are gonna be able to get at least two guys ejected this year by provoking them to commit a personal foul. The Panthers are also adept at this.

All chop blocks are now illegal.

Well, duh. Bout time. Even if the stats don't bear out that chop blocks cause a lot of injuries, they're still stupid. It's a pussy way to play football. Men should stand up and beat other men. Not pull that prank where one guy lays behind another guy and gets pushed like he's in middle school. Good change.

"Horse collar" redefined.

Expands the horse collar rule to include when a defender grabs the jersey at the name plate or above and pulls a runner toward the ground, it's a 15 yard penalty. This only makes sense. That's a dangerous tackle.

Time-out penalty. AKA, "Doh!"

Makes it a foul for delay of game when a team attempts to call a timeout when it is not permitted to do so. I don't know of a lot of teams who do this intentionally. Usually it's a player on the field, in real time, who isn't acutely aware of the time out protocol. Seems stupid to me, but maybe someone can expand on it.

In and out of bounds rule.

Eliminates the five-yard penalty for an eligible receiver illegally touching a forward pass after being out of bounds and re-establishing himself inbounds, and makes it a loss of down. That's a rough one. A lot of times receivers aren't aware that they stepped out of bounds before they "touch" the ball. Sometimes they're being shaded and hit the line. There are of course players who KNOW they've gone WAY out of bounds and come back into the field, but I didn't realize this was a big issue.

Eliminates multiple spots of enforcement for a double foul after a change of possession.
Huh?

 

[Psycho_X]

Yeah at this point the kickoff is freakin pointless. Most kick returns average less than 25 yards by a large margin so there's literally no reason to run the ball out of the endzone now if you want to play the law of averages.

As far as horse collar rule, I guess makes sense but does it extend from shoulder to shoulder? For instance, if someone grabs the jersey that is on the top back of a players shoulder will that be considered a horse collar now? Does someone with the name Hoomanawanui who has a nameplate go from shoulder tip to shoulder tip have the whole area above his name exempt? I know, nit picking here but I guarantee at some point a tackle will be made from grabbing the back shoulder and it'll be a controversy whether minor or major depending on the implications.

And how in the hell did the "eliminate over time in preseason games" not make it to the voting table? Seriously? Why in the hell is that even a thing? No one cares... the coaches don't care, the non-fringe players don't care, and fans definitely don't care. No one cares who wins, call it a tie and go home.

 

[-X-]

Yeah at this point the kickoff is freakin pointless. Most kick returns average less than 25 yards by a large margin so there's literally no reason to run the ball out of the endzone now if you want to play the law of averages.

And here's the stupid part. Kickoff teams still run full blast into the return team's blockers for the first 25 yards. They're literally doing nothing to address what they feel the issue is. And I forgot how they outlawed "the wedge" blocks prior to moving the kickoff line up. So they're systematically trying to make it safer, but are only making it more and more pussified. Clearly they want to eliminate kickoffs entirely, but are just afraid of making such a huge change in the tradition of the game.

 

[-X-]

And what I would personally like to see is a revision of the Coach's challenge. Right now they can only challenge reviewable plays. That's just stupid. John Harbaugh recently said that 5 games ended on non-reviewable calls last year. How is that even permissable? Why wouldn't you be permitted to challenge ANY call with a challenge flag? It's not a "selective challenge" flag that they have. It's not a "conditional" challenge flag. It's a damn challenge flag. Let them challenge whatever the hell they want.

"Non-reviewable calls"

Dumb.

 

[bluecoconuts]

And what I would personally like to see is a revision of the Coach's challenge. Right now they can only challenge reviewable plays. That's just stupid. John Harbaugh recently said that 5 games ended on non-reviewable calls last year. How is that even permissable? Why wouldn't you be permitted to challenge ANY call with a challenge flag? It's not a "selective challenge" flag that they have. It's not a "conditional" challenge flag. It's a damn challenge flag. Let them challenge whatever the hell they want.

"Non-reviewable calls"

Dumb.

Everything should be reviewable by the coaches. If they win, they keep their review. Games take too long? Too many fuck-ups? Get better refs.

 

[LesBaker]

Everything should be reviewable by the coaches. If they win, they keep their review. Games take too long? Too many freak-ups? Get better refs.

You can thank the union (and the idiots in the media that used replacement refs as a "story" when they were just as good as the regular refs) for the fact that you will not see improvement in the ability of the refs until at least the 2020 season.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I wonder if the kick-off / touchback rule actually helps teams with good kick returners; Minnesota's Cordarelle Patterson.

Patterson averaged >30yds per return. If most teams are taking a knee, won't the coverage units be a little rusty when someone actually brings one out?

 

[Corbin]

They seem pretty legit to me except that dumb ass kickoff one. Are they fucking retarded?

 

[bwdenverram]

Kickoff rule is :

 

[-X-]

I wonder if the kick-off / touchback rule actually helps teams with good kick returners; Minnesota's Cordarelle Patterson.

Patterson averaged >30yds per return. If most teams are taking a knee, won't the coverage units be a little rusty when someone actually brings one out?

Interesting take, but I doubt any ST coach lets his players take a play off. No matter how unlikely it is someone runs one out. Another thing that might happen from this is more of those mortar kicks where kickers get a bunch of hang-time and try to get kicks to land inside the 5 so you force returns. Zuerlein did that a few times last year and it worked out well for us.

 

[JoeBo21]

I still don't understand how nothing was discussed about "what is/isn't a catch"

 

[kurtfaulk]

Interesting take, but I doubt any ST coach lets his players take a play off. No matter how unlikely it is someone runs one out. Another thing that might happen from this is more of those mortar kicks where kickers get a bunch of hang-time and try to get kicks to land inside the 5 so you force returns. Zuerlein did that a few times last year and it worked out well for us.

when i first saw that rule change proposed this is the first thing that came to mind. coaches would not want to give the opposition a good starting point so they will work on ways to keep the ball in play and hope to keep the opposition inside the 20.

.

 

[RamBall]

Seems they cant make up their mind on kick offs, now teams will try shorter kicks to pin oponent deeper than the 25. In 2 or 3 years they will make another kick off rule with player safety in mind.

 

[RaminExile]

And here's the stupid part. Kickoff teams still run full blast into the return team's blockers for the first 25 yards. They're literally doing nothing to address what they feel the issue is. And I forgot how they outlawed "the wedge" blocks prior to moving the kickoff line up. So they're systematically trying to make it safer, but are only making it more and more pussified. Clearly they want to eliminate kickoffs entirely, but are just afraid of making such a huge change in the tradition of the game.

Because of that I'd like to see guys run it out anyway just to stick it to the league. Of course coaches won't like it - but fans would.

You'll see the odd return start later on in the season I bet when coverage teams start to "cheat" a little because no ones bringing it out and if a guy sees a lane or a chance because of that they'll bring it out - and those return guys love having a chance to make a splash play.

As you say it's stupid because the guys are still going to run into each other full speed. It makes literally no difference. It's very rarely the ball carrier who gets crushed - he's always some shifty little dude evading big hits (or he wouldn't be back there long enough to develop any return skills in the first place) - it's the guys playing out of position as blockers not used to the task who get their heads hurt and this rule change does nothing to change that - it just makes the game more boring for no reason.

 

[dieterbrock]

I wonder if the kick-off / touchback rule actually helps teams with good kick returners; Minnesota's Cordarelle Patterson.

Patterson averaged >30yds per return. If most teams are taking a knee, won't the coverage units be a little rusty when someone actually brings one out?

You could say the same thing about the team blocking for the kickoff returner, they could take a play off and expose a returner

I was pretty outspoken in my disappointment in not giving Benny Cunningham a better tender/contract. Mainly because of his KR ability.
Somebody joked that this was the reason they didn't care if he came back and that actually may be the truth

 

[DaveFan'51]

Kickoff return touchbacks will be brought out to the 25 yard line.

Just get rid of kickoffs altogether if you're gonna keep widdling away at it. Several years ago 11% of all kickoffs were touchbacks, because they were being kicked from the 30. Then a few years later they moved it up to the 35, and all of a sudden 50% of all kickoffs were touchbacks. Now they're giving teams the option of just starting from the 25, which will of course make 99% of coaches instruct their returners to just down the ball when receiving it in the endzone. I get it - it's a violent play, like the battle scenes out of Braveheart. Guys running full speed into other guys for (at best) a 25 yard return. So just quit freaking around and outlaw kickoffs altogether if you're gonna keep degrading the play to this level.

I think completely doing away with the Kickoff, eventually, is exactly their plan! Which, to me sucks, because it's one of the most exciting moments in the game! I wish they would stop F-ING with My Game!! JMO

Automatic ejection for two personal fouls.

Awwwwwwwwssssooommmmmme. Which team in the league comes to mind as it relates to getting under another team's skin? Calling it right now. The Rams are gonna be able to get at least two guys ejected this year by provoking them to commit a personal foul. The Panthers are also adept at this.

This is another "Silly one!!" Goody-Goody Godell wanted it so he go it!!:seizure:I guess I'm just too Old Fashioned for this 'New Age of Football!! I'll com-down after I have a drink!!

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I am glad to see the chop block go. Stats may say it does not cause injury. When properly performed it may not but ask Paul Pszluzny what he thinks about them. He will show you the scar from his torn ACL in college from a shitty chop block. I don't know if the guy was late and knew he was going to miss the block, so he dove into Paul's knee or he intentionally just went for the knee but it proves that a poorly executed chop block is a dangerous block.

 

[Roman Snow]

So, of course, all the kickers are practicing their pooch kicks with lots of hang time. to land near the 5 yard line. Down that. Nobody is going to concede the 25 yard line. It will force awkward decisions, and MORE runbacks. Mark it. More injuries.

Things don't happen in a vacuum. Do you think guys will still boom their kicks out of the end zone? To be brought out 5 more yards. This just tipped the scale.

Just like stupid lawmaking, this will backfire. Congrats, rule committee. Jeff is gone for 5 minutes, and the children take over.

Pooch kicks,

 

[Mackeyser]

Yeah at this point the kickoff is freakin pointless. Most kick returns average less than 25 yards by a large margin so there's literally no reason to run the ball out of the endzone now if you want to play the law of averages.

As far as horse collar rule, I guess makes sense but does it extend from shoulder to shoulder? For instance, if someone grabs the jersey that is on the top back of a players shoulder will that be considered a horse collar now? Does someone with the name Hoomanawanui who has a nameplate go from shoulder tip to shoulder tip have the whole area above his name exempt? I know, nit picking here but I guarantee at some point a tackle will be made from grabbing the back shoulder and it'll be a controversy whether minor or major depending on the implications.

And how in the hell did the "eliminate over time in preseason games" not make it to the voting table? Seriously? Why in the hell is that even a thing? No one cares... the coaches don't care, the non-fringe players don't care, and fans definitely don't care. No one cares who wins, call it a tie and go home.

Yes, as the new rule is stated, ANYTHING from behind and above the nameplate. So, yes, if a player grabs the shoulder portion of the pads and yanks a player backwards, that will constitute a "horsecollar" tackle just as if he'd grabbed inside the pads. With the tacky gloves, many players were effectively circumventing the intent of the rule which was to prevent players from being dragged down from behind by or around the neck/shoulder area. This eliminates that "loophole". Actually, it makes it easier for refs to call because when a player, usually a QB is yanked backwards quickly in the pocket, if a hand is on his back, a flag will likely be right out as opposed to before when the Referee or the Umpire would have to determine the exact hand placement and treat it like a facemask type penalty. Now...not so much. If the yank happens, so does the flag. Makes it easier on everyone.

 

[fearsomefour]

As usual, mostly horrible.
The NFL needs to do with its rule book what the IRS needs to do with the tax code and eliminate half of it.
Touchback rule....horrible.
Horse collar....horrible. The rule now is the guy has to be brought down backward....so now grabbing the jersey is not allowed.
The NFL pisses me off.