NCAA Rule Change

[Canfootball52]

This may have been discussed in a previous post. I would like to hear the thoughts of NCAA officials about the rule change mentioned in this article.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?s...v=ap&type=lgns

[TXMike]

Another rule change designed for the minority of NCAA football schools (those outside the major conferences). In those games (major conference games) there will be more KO returns and perhaps more time run off the clock on each KO. Time will tell about injuries. In theory, if the players get more momentum before they make contact with each other there is greater chance for injury. We all know the number of flags we see on kick plays so more kick returns likely means more flags which may end up putting back all the time they were trying to take away.

[MJT]

KO returns are one of the most exciting plays in college football and I think it will be a great change. I don't think we will see many TB's at all cuz even when the ball gets a yard or two in the EZ I think it will be run out more cuz K is further away.

[Forksref]

I think this rule change penalizes the teams with good kickers. It was an advantage to not allow your opponent to run back a kickoff after you have scored a crucial TD.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Canfootball52

This may have been discussed in a previous post. I would like to hear the thoughts of NCAA officials about the rule change mentioned in this article.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?s...v=ap&type=lgns

I'm not an official, but the reason given in the article for opposing that rule change -- more injuries because of more live ball returns of kickoffs -- is just silly. If there's a certain risk of injury on any kickoff return, so the risk would be proportional to the number of kickoff returns, that's an argument for eliminating free kicks in general (as is done sometimes in youth football, HS frosh, etc.), not for trying to produce a few more touchbacks. There's no "break point" involved, nothing to indicate the risk-exposure relationship is anything but linear, so there's no good argument for a change on that basis. It's not like limiting the number of pitches a pitcher can throw in a day of baseball, where the injuries increase nonlinearly.

They've been increasing the distance to the goal line from the kickoff spot ever since it was the midpoint of a 110-yard field, and this is the first I've seen anyone argue against it on safety grounds.

Robert

[bossman72]

"So now they're moving back 5 yards so we can create more g-forces as these kids are running into each other"

What this dumb ace doesn't realize is that the return team is moving up 5 yards as well, so there is essentially no difference.

[Warrenkicker]

I think they all understand that there are really no more g-forces generated. All players reach their maximum velocity within a couple of seconds. However, if the kickoff is backed up 5 yards, the probability of a touchback drops by about 50%. This means more returns and thus more collisions. As soon as there is a touchback the players usually stop running into each other. When the ball is returned, most of the collisions occur after the ball has been run with for 5 yards.

Wedge busters are essentially extreme athletes. The best one we had when I was in college made it a point to try to do a complete flip over the wedge. He landed on his feet once but was not able to keep from falling over.