The simple rule change of moving the kickoff five yards up from the 30, and allowing the kickoff team to line up just five yards behind the kickoff line has started a firestorm of controversy.

In a vote of 26-6, the NFL owners approved this rule in March to address the growing concerns of dangerous hits.

From a strategy standpoint, this rule should not be taken lightly because it changes the way the game will be played this season.  The rule change affects all three facets of the game.

In order to succeed, the offense, defense and special teams will need to understand the impact this rule will have.

First, there will be more touchbacks, and more kicks deep into the end zone with the move up.

This will lead to drives starting at the 20, and will help stronger defenses immediately.

Previously on an average kick, possessions would usually start past the 20, and players would even reach midfield on occasion.

If a team, however, stopped a player at the 20, this would get the special teams and defense fired up. Last season, starting at the 20 was not something for the offense to get excited about.

Now, starting at the 20 will be common and the offense will have a longer field to work with, which means more first downs are needed along with mistake free ball.

Additionally, if the defense is able to cause one holding penalty this will lead to a first and 20 on the 10.

This down is hard enough to complete, but being on your own 10 is even harder, especially when the team is on the road.

Even a sack by the defense can bury the offense.

If an offense backs itself up it will be punting deep in its own end zone, which sets up excellent field possession for an opposing offense.

Once the defense can successfully shut down an offense with a three and out possession, it is looking at a possession near midfield.

This is where the offense benefits, because if the offense has a strong defense, the team can have strong field position and rack up points the whole game.

From here, an offense can easily pick up a field goal or a touchdown after a couple of first downs.

They can continue the cycle of scoring, kicking a touchback, stopping the opposing team and getting strong field position off of punts.

In the end, the return man is affected by this rule the most. Many guys make their claim to fame by returning kicks.

Joshua Cribbs and Devin Hester are two players who have done this. Players like Cribbs and Hester will get the green light to take balls deep in the end zone because of their skills, but this rule affects the less talented kick returners even more.

With the devaluation of the return man, returners are going to need to show they are valuable in other spots.

They will certainly not be given the green light every time, and if any kick returner has the audacity to return the ball from their own end zone, anything before the 20 will be considered a bad return.

More emphasis will also be placed on the punt return, because this is another opportunity to use a team’s star player to return kicks. With kickoff return rates bound to go down, the emphasis of certain players on special teams will also be evaluated. 

A punter could even hurt his team with a poor kick, and this new rule will put more pressure on the punter to make consistently good punts.

The fact that the NFL is seeking safety first should be commended and not forgotten. The kickoff rule certainly does hurt the rate of one of the most exciting plays in the game, but once football season moves into the colder weather, kicks will be shorter and players will have their chance to shine on kickoffs.

 

To contact The Ionian’s Christopher Sponn, e-mail him at [email protected]