NCAA rule change: Kickoff fair catch inside 25 to be touchback

BMF

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It seems they want to eliminate KO's altogether....

NCAA proposal: Kickoff fair catch inside 25 to be touchback

https://collegefootball.ap.org/ap/article/ncaa-proposal-kickoff-fair-catch-inside-25-be-touchback

The team receiving a kickoff would be allowed to make a fair catch between its goal line and 25-yard line and have it result in a touchback under an NCAA Football Rules Committee proposal.

NCAA secretary-rules editor Steve Shaw said the proposal is a counter to emerging strategy in which the kickoff team tries to execute a high, short kick to pin the receiving team deep in its territory. The opportunity for a fair catch and touchback should reduce high-impact collisions and risk of injury, he said Friday.

"Coaches have really looked at this and they want to do things to make this play safer in our game and keep it a viable play," Shaw said.

Before the 2012 season, kickoffs were moved from the 30-yard line to the 35 and the starting position on touchbacks from the receiving team's 20 to 25.

"The committee discussed the kickoff play at great length and we will continue to work to find ways to improve the play," said North Carolina coach and committee chairman Larry Fedora. "We believe making one change (this year) will allow us to study the effect of this change in terms of player safety."

The proposal will be sent to conferences for feedback before being considered by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel on April 13. If approved by the panel, the change would go into effect for the 2018 season.

The committee also proposed that offensive players not be allowed to block below the waist more than 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Those blocks also would have to be from the front, except in the case of interior linemen.

The committee approved two pace-of-play proposals. After a touchdown, the play clock would be set at 40 seconds to expedite the extra point or two-point conversion attempt. Following a kickoff, the play clock would be set to 40 seconds to restart play more quickly.

Also, the committee approved the addition of a 10-second runoff when instant replay overturns the ruling on the field inside of one minute in either half and the correct ruling would not have stopped the game clock.

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CapitalGator02

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The team receiving a kickoff would be allowed to make a fair catch between its goal line and 25-yard line and have it result in a touchback under an NCAA Football Rules Committee proposal
This is completely dumb and wouldn’t make kickoffs any safer. The majority of contact occurs before any of the players are even aware that a fair catch has been called. Second, what if the kickoff returner muffs the kick? I still coach my special teams guys to haul ass down the field to prepare for a muff, which will still result in high speed impacts. These rules in the name of “safety” are the exact reason why I’m have a hard time watching football.
 

BMF

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This is completely dumb and wouldn’t make kickoffs any safer. The majority of contact occurs before any of the players are even aware that a fair catch has been called. Second, what if the kickoff returner muffs the kick? I still coach my special teams guys to haul ass down the field to prepare for a muff, which will still result in high speed impacts. These rules in the name of “safety” are the exact reason why I’m have a hard time watching football.

Great post CG02. ST's is a third of the game.....and doing whatever they can to eliminate KO's diminishes the game. The "high" kickoff is specifically designed to pin a team inside the 10 (and possibly get a muff). Having a fair catch is complete BS.
 

Gator87

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Instead of slowly killing the sport with all these so called safety measures why don't they just make it two hand touch and finish it off.
 
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AnObfuscator

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Okay, but hear me out, kickoffs suck. Most of the time they're short and boring. And they get sandwiched between commercials: Score -> commercial break -> kickoff -> more commercials -> actual football.
 

Leroy Jenkins

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I love KO Returns the way they used to be..exciting when one is broke for a big gain and touchdown..but it's whatever..I would hate to see this rule change to even more so get rid of one of the possibly most exciting parts of football, but it's the "safety" thing again.
 

BMF

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Okay, but hear me out, kickoffs suck. Most of the time they're short and boring. And they get sandwiched between commercials: Score -> commercial break -> kickoff -> more commercials -> actual football.

Did you read the entire article? It also mentions a second rule change....which deals w/ your comment (i.e. shortening the breaks between scores & kickoffs).
 

Mr2Bits

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Seems like everyone wants to just say "muff" as much as possible
 

rogdochar

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Wait, from here it's just a hop to allowing the KO to be thrown. Think how Franks could put it where nobody could catch it. If we still had LDR, he could pooch punt it ? :confused:
 

aka

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I think the players tying their own shoe strings together would slow things down to a safe, manageable speed.
 

lagator

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Sure, let them fair catch it, but why give them the touchback? By definition a fair catch means you are sacrificing the opportunity to advance the ball beyond the point of the catch, so if they fair catch on the 10 that's where the offense should start.
 

Jack o' Diamonds

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Sure, let them fair catch it, but why give them the touchback? By definition a fair catch means you are sacrificing the opportunity to advance the ball beyond the point of the catch, so if they fair catch on the 10 that's where the offense should start.
That's the current rule for a fair catch on a kickoff...
 

divits

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Can you imagine any self respecting kick returner who would catch a KO at the 10 and then take a knee? He'd be booed out of the stadium.

Stupid rule dreamed up by stupids.
 

MidwestChomp

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Can you imagine any self respecting kick returner who would catch a KO at the 10 and then take a knee? He'd be booed out of the stadium.

Stupid rule dreamed up by stupids.
Good thing Callaway is not coming back....or Nord
 

rogdochar

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The proposed rule is designed to reward them to the 25 for not running it back. Encouraging the hand waving slows down all the dangerous on-rushers -- so they can be blasted by blockers whose backs are to the KO receiver?:confused:
 

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