Touchbacks now go to the 25 yard line instead of the 20

[olyfan63]

So Lockett on our team gets us automatic 25 yard line drive starts, because kickers boot it out of the end zone as instructed by their coaches. Teams with lesser returners get kicked to, and typically return to the 20, on average. (estimate) Score 5 yards per kickoff for Lockett. Not bad.

 

[Ozzy]

I think we will see fewer returns and it accomplishes what they intend it to do. I hope I'm wrong as it's a strength of Seattle's.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

to me it seems like the NFL is trying to get more kneel downs in the end zones, so that the offense starts at the 25 now not the 20..... If they want to make the game safer.

But they forgot that kickers now have more incentive to kick it high and drop it right within the 10 yard line now, which will make the returner wanna return it even more now.

And more kneel-downs in the end zone is just what they'll get. Sure, kickers will have more incentive to kick it high rather than boot it through the end zone, but returners will simply let it bounce into the end zone where they may have tried to return it before. This will absolutely result in more touchbacks.

 

[rideaducati]

to me it seems like the NFL is trying to get more kneel downs in the end zones, so that the offense starts at the 25 now not the 20..... If they want to make the game safer.

But they forgot that kickers now have more incentive to kick it high and drop it right within the 10 yard line now, which will make the returner wanna return it even more now.

And more kneel-downs in the end zone is just what they'll get. Sure, kickers will have more incentive to kick it high rather than boot it through the end zone, but returners will simply let it bounce into the end zone where they may have tried to return it before. This will absolutely result in more touchbacks.

With the shape of the football, it can take strange bounces. Being that it is a live ball, I don't foresee returners letting the ball bounce with hopes that it makes it into the end zone where the kicking team has a chance to get to it too.

 

[Hasselbeck]

They already adopted this rule in college football, honestly didn't even think much of it aside from the first time it happened. It's really not the big deal all the fans will make it be.

 

[Vancanhawksfan]

This may or may not increase the number of kick returns executed in an NFL football season. We will find out shortly.

What it almost certainly will do is move up the average starting position for all teams, making the goal line (and goal posts) closer for all offenses. This will definitely lead to an increase in scoring which is exactly what the NFL wants to see.

 

[LegionHawk12]

Not sure how I feel about this. I kind of like seeing guys get blown up... but since one of top gunners went down (I think that was a kickoff) I dunno. Getting hit is part of the game...

 

[253hawk]

Not sure how I feel about this. I kind of like seeing guys get blown up... but since one of top gunners went down (I think that was a kickoff) I dunno. Getting hit is part of the game...

Lockette was injured on a punt return, where there's only a handful of gunners and several extra blockers that can hit them from any angle. He was double-teamed at the line, followed by one guy across the middle, and then blasted by a rover who was already lined up in the area pre-snap, waiting to hit whoever came through.

On a kick return, there's basically 10 gunners, so the returning team is almost forced to block one-on-one. No one leaves their guy free to run just to go double team another gunner.