Pop Warner reducing kickoffs
 

Under OHSAA (Ohio) rules kickoffs are not used until freshman year. Ball put into play at the A35. Kickoffs can have the potential for the highest injury rate.

A good idea, that individual PW leagues have long been adopted in the NE.

There was a time, long ago, when PW football was played at the "Junior (up to age 19) level and Senior (up to age 25), at least in the NE.

I am not so sure that there are kickoffs were allowed in most of the levels I used to work at those levels already. I do not know if many kids could even kick the ball that far anyway, but I also worked Bill George ball as well. Often we just started on the 25 and moved on.

Peace

"Can. Potential." Got any statistics from children's football that they actually do produce so many injuries? The experience of most coaches is that their injury rate is no greater than that of scrimmage plays, because the ball doesn't get kicked far.

Not youth but rather HS football, but did find this...

Effects of Field Location, Time in Competition, and Phase of Play on Injury Severity in High School Football

Doesn't apply to levels where the ball is practically never kicked deep, which are the levels Pop Warner made the change at.

I've tried to come up with ideas where kickoffs can be eliminated entirely from all football, and the best idea I've come up with is to limit a kickoff to the last 2 minutes of each half when the kicking team is behind by no more than 21 points. Of course the time and point differential are arguable but the gist is to limit the OPTION to kickoff to situations where an onside kick will almost certainly be used. The rule would be written as an exception to where the ball will next be put into play after a try.

All other situations, the ball goes to the 25, 30, or 35 -- depending on what is best for each level.

Ohio does a lot of things differently.

A couple years ago, I heard the NFL was toying with an idea of placing the ball at the A35 and making it 4th and 10. This basically gives the offense the option of trying to earn a first down on one play and keep the ball or punt it away.

ISTR it was discussed here.

I already had my own idea for indoor football of a neutral kickoff: The ball would be placed at the center, & each team would rush out from their respective end to kick it. Either side could play it by hands only after it'd been played by a foot by either side. No neutral zone.