New Touch-back Rule: Did You Just Hear A Backfire?

When I was at the Kansas City Chiefs first day of practice I noticed what I thought were higher than normal kickoffs coming off the leg of one Cairo Santos. I wasn’t sure at the time if he was being asked to do that, or if he was intentionally efforting his kicks that high but in any case I was immediately reminded that the new kick-off rule had changed so that a touch-back would result in the football being placed five yards further out, on the 25 yard line. So, I nonchalantly concluded that head coach Andy Reid and special team’s coach Dave Toub had colluded to make sure they practiced kicking the ball to the goal line, or not quite into the end zone, and higher to allow coverage time to get down field, to prevent the other team from getting that five extra yard head start.

Since that time, I have heard and read about other coaches who also don’t want to give up those five extra yards of field position.

There are many who believe the kick-off is headed towards extinction and that the owners are toying with the essence of the original game. I’m one of those who support that idea. My question is, when… in all these changes… does the game of football… become… not football anymore? You can’t keep changing the game and call it the same game can you? Of course, there are the injuries part of it. No one wants anyone to get hurt. However, everyone I have ever played the game with would give anything to be an NFL player for just one game. One hour. One play.

On the other hand, we don’t want to sell our kids down the river on a game that is violent and actually does some players a lifetime of physical damage. So, the reason that the National Football League owners took to the board room and mandated this change was part of an on-going push to make games safer and you can’t really blame them because the kick-off can be one of, if not the most, dangerous plays in the game. How then, would it be counter-productive for coaches everywhere to change the way they approach the kick-off?

In recent years, teams have made sure, if possible, that they kicked the ball through the back of the end zone. Dave Toub and the Chiefs, as in their Wildcard game against the Texans in Houston last January, have decided they will bring as many kicks out as possible. They do this to gain as many yards as possible hoping of course that they can get the ball past the 20 yard line, the now old touch-back placement spot. For the Chiefs, this resulted in a touchdown to start their “away” playoff game. If they had not gained that opening TD advantage there’s no telling how that game could have turned.

Now however, the owners want to eliminate as many injuries as possible so they have done their part to ensure that never happens.

Oops… this is where I insert the sound of a car back-firing.

You see, many coaches don’t accept the so-called “new rules” so easily. It’s not like the owners called all their coaches and said, “Hey, you don’t mind if you lose 5 yards every time you kickoff do you? It’ll be safer for the boys! You don’t mind, right?” Nope, that conversation didn’t take place and so what you have is a number of coaches who are planning on kicking off so that the ball lands between the 5 and the 1 yard lines… with the ball kicked a little higher… coffin-corner style… in hopes of pinning the other team down inside the 25 yard line.

The 25 yard line. The new touch-back placement spot. It can seem like a big difference because if a team gets even one first down from there then they can almost be sure of winning field position. If a team gets a first down from the 25 yard line, they will be out somewhere beyond the 35. Even if their second drive fails at say… the 40 yard line… most kickers in the NFL can kick the ball down to the ten yard line from there.

This is certainly something to watch for on Saturday in the Kansas City Chiefs first game of the preseason against the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium. Pete Carroll, the head coach of the Seahawks, is known for trying every little trick he can to gain an advantage so it could be telling if he asks his players to kick-off short to get back that field position advantage.

What do you think Chiefs fans? Do you think the new rule will change the game much… or not at all?