This was an interesting notification from my phone early this week.
Kickoffs will look slightly different in 2023 than what we are used to. The league approved a one-year trial of new fair catch rules on Tuesday.
Doing so means kick returners can now signal for a fair catch anywhere inside their own 25-yard line, resulting in a touchback, thus getting the ball at the 25.
I HATE it. Again, the changes are temporary, at least for now, and could be gone after 2023.
I hope they see how bad this makes the game after one season. The positive is player safety, and I get it they want to limit injuries, etc., as a whole.
Messing with the kickoffs started in 2016 when they moved touchbacks from the 20 to the 25.
I get all of that. Let’s take away some of the injuries that occur during these.
At the same time, though, this is tackle football, right? They might as well get flags and play flag football instead. Please take a look at what Andy Reid said about it on Wednesday.
What about the special teams’ coordinators? KaVontae Turpin had a handful of spark returns last season.
Kick returns are a huge momentum type plays in a football game. Doing something like this will likely reduce the chances of this stuff happening.
Head coaches around the league have already voiced their thoughts about the change.
This will stink for players who make their name on special teams.
They will line up for a kickoff to have the returner wave a fair catch whenever they want.
It also may hurt the end-of-the-game stuff.
Kickers try to pin teams deep by getting the ball short enough in the air to make them catch it at the 5-10 yard line. Now they have an out by just waving their hand.
I even saw an article from the Athletic stating that the NFL has thought about just getting rid of kickoffs completely.
Like I agree with Andy Reid, let’s make it flag football now.
It is a contact sport, and look, I am ALL for banning the bogus tackles some players use, etc., but to get rid of an essential part of the game doesn’t make sense.
Ultimately, other odd rule changes are probably on the way. Again, this is just a one-year demo-type deal. We will see if it works, and if it gets annoying, we may see it go back.
It may feel too much like the NCAA; if so, it’ll get changed back.
I can already feel little if any, fun this league has left has started to slip away.
I will forever root for the Cowboys’ hardcore, and of course, I never want anything to happen to the players on the field, but this is football.
Keep critical components that make the game exciting.
It’s gonna set the Cowboys back even further.
Joey Guyton 8 Super Bowls. Five super bowl wins
The rule will be very insignificant. Most kicks go out of the end zone. If they don’t nobody is trying to just get to the 25 on a kickoff return.
Yeah, nobody is wanting to get to just the 25 yard line, but if the returner sees he won’t make it to the 25 or further then he’ll call for the fair catch so he will at least make it to the 25!! No returner is wanting to get stopped inside the 5 or 10 yard line, so if the returner sees it’s a possibility, he’s gonna call for a fair catch so he’s not stuck inside the 5 or 10 yard line!! And then there’s the part where kickers have to kick on a short field, and automatically puts the balls inside the 5 or 10 and the returner don’t have time to run anywhere and don’t have a choice but to call for a fair catch, that’ll automatically give them an extra 15 or 20 yards just by calling for a fair catch!! So it’s getting to where there’s no way for the kicking team to pit the receiving team inside the 5 or the 10 or 15 or anything like that, the receiving team will automatically get put at the 25….. All they have to do is call for a fair catch!!
They should use a nerf football to kickoff with too!
So f t up
The XFL kickoff is very interesting. Line up 5 yards apart and can’t move until the ball is caught. Allows run back but low injury rate.
This is stupid, what’s going to be the purpose of a kickoff. Just place the ball on the 25. There’s no point for the kicker trying to kick it close to the endzone anymore.
Armando Barrios first of all this is having a real big deal. It doesn’t change much, maybe a strategy here and there, but most kickers kick the ball through the back of the Endzone. They’re almost never brought back. The ones that are kick short sometimes are done on purpose, but the returner still has a choice to catch the ball and run. There’s not a rule it Has to be fair caught. I mean am I reading something wrong?? if the kicker wants to kick it short, he’s still enticing some of the returners like KaVontae Turpin, who seems to want to take everything back to not call a fair catch.
So I don’t see where it changes much at all most of them will still be touchbacks through the back of the end zone in a few fair catch his maybe in some parts of the game but you’re still gonna have some returners want to return the kicks it’s really not that big a deal
The damn ball ends up as a touch back 90% of the time anyways, Next they’ll just award the ball 40 yards down the field on a punting situation so you won’t need a punter.
With the new rule, you won’t need this reject from USFL 
Jim Barger why can’t he return it instead of fair catching it?
Why not just make it over payed flag football.
They should just do away with kicking the ball all together and just sort the ball on the 25 after every touchdown.
ML Hall I ageee stop
Wastong our time
As
Viewers with nothing happening vs just give the ball to the other team and go.
I don’t know if this rule change is good or bad, but I’m sick of people calling every change they don’t like “flag football.” Get over it.
Ray Gotsch well it is getting to that….I say play with a nerf football too….wouldn’t want these pussies to jam a finger and fuck up their nxt contract ….oughta just call it soccer
They already have this rule in college football and has it really affected the game that much in college football???
Stephen Close agree…don’t think it will have a huge impact. It’s not as if the returner has to call a fair catch.
Good rule in college. Bad rule in pros.
Sissyfying the NFL. Guess Devin Hesters records will never be challenged. Now, they will put anybody back there to recieve the kick. They are taking one of the most exciting plays out of the mix. So sad. And don’t come back with it will illeminate injuries. The NFL will be playing Pro Bowl style next.
Can’t eliminate it completely bc of on sides kick attempts
Most teams kick it out of the end zone anyway
The writer made a mistake.He said you won’t be able to pin a team deep. That is for punts. The rule only applies to kickoffs
Hi Robert,
What I mean by that is if a team late in the game has a little pooch kick in the air or something similar and forces them to field it at the 10-15, etc. they can simply wave the hand and get out of it. (If it isn’t a squib kick).
Just split balling things I think we will see this season and it’s going to be awful and take an important part of the game away.
this sucks!!
this is not about players safety
it’s about the money invested in players and they don’t want to see their money hurt –
just like Pro Bowl flag football lol
It doesn’t sound like it’s good, but we’ll see.
They no the risks and are overly compensated
“Waaaah! I don’t like football if I can’t see players get boo-boos with broken bones and stuff!”
Coming soon…Rock, Paper, Scissors at midfield to determine who gets the ball first.
I don’t like the rule. Not good for the game
So just don’t call for a fair catch. Where is common sense these days?