:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Don't penalize the team for having a good kicker.

No Way. This would mean the Birds would have to play their best atheletes on this one special team. Why not give your starters a breather. You and Me both know that Dale likes to use mostly Sophmores and sometimes Freshman to cover Kickoffs. Keep your Skilled Defensive players off the field if you can. Could you imagine if Victor Anderson would of been able to return all of the kickoffs last Saturday. He would of broke one of them, it was just a matter of time.

But don't the Birds use Kramer to return kickoffs? He almost changed the game in the playoffs last year agianst Lex. Cath. with the kick return in the 2nd half. Special teams is just as important as O and D and its the coaches responsibility to do what is best for the team to win that battle.

But don't the Birds use Kramer to return kickoffs? He almost changed the game in the playoffs last year agianst Lex. Cath. with the kick return in the 2nd half. Special teams is just as important as O and D and its the coaches responsibility to do what is best for the team to win that battle.

 

 

Yup. Special teams make up 1/3 of the game as does the O 1/3 and D 1/3. Play your starters on special teams and I think your special teams would be more special.

But don't the Birds use Kramer to return kickoffs? He almost changed the game in the playoffs last year agianst Lex. Cath. with the kick return in the 2nd half. Special teams is just as important as O and D and its the coaches responsibility to do what is best for the team to win that battle.

Yes they do, but once again Lex Cath's kicker wasn't good enough to put it in the endzone. But Lex Cath's defense was by keeping up out of the endzone. I still say that if Highlands could of and should of scored the opening kickoff, the outcome of that game would have been different. Highlands defense played well enough to win that game, the offense didn't

Let the ball be returned from the endzone.

 

:thumb:

Leave the kick off where it is. If the other team wants to return it from the back of the endzone, more power to them. This is not penalizing the team with the great kicker. If he is so great, have him kick it out of the endzone!

Does anyone have information on when the rule (you can't bring it out of the endzone) was incorporated into high school football? I seem to remember that KY had the rule before Ohio, but I could be completely wrong on that.

Kickers who routinely boom kickoffs for touchbacks are still not that commonplace. I've been to HS games where neither team had a kicker who could kick it inside the ten (and the kicks were line drives)

That said, let return men run it out of the end zone. I don't think that penalizes the team with the good kicker - it just requires that they have a good coverage team as well.

Does anyone have information on when the rule (you can't bring it out of the endzone) was incorporated into high school football? I seem to remember that KY had the rule before Ohio, but I could be completely wrong on that.

 

Not sure regarding Ohio / Ky. But I watched a Texas High School game last night and there it was returnable from the endzone.

What's the rationale for the rule?

Why was the touchback rule put in place?

 

I really do not see a need for a change.

 

I would favor being able to return a kick out of the end zone than moving the kick off back.

 

Most teams I have seen would be receiving the ball on the 20 or 25 if you move the kick back.

Does anyone have information on when the rule (you can't bring it out of the endzone) was incorporated into high school football? I seem to remember that KY had the rule before Ohio, but I could be completely wrong on that.

I thought it was an NFHS rule.

 

I like the new NCAA rule:

Kicking tees may not elevate the ball more than one

inch above the ground. The lower tee is expected to

decrease kickoff distance, resulting in more returns.

Umpires should have a device allowing them to

measure the tee. If an improper tee is discovered, it

should be removed. There is no penalty (2-15-4-c).

Just let them return it from the endzone it will:

 

1. Decrease touchbacks

2. make more teams practice KO coverage

3. Make coaches want more hang time "as in college they want 4+ sec hang time

4. Make coaches use strategy, "KO to the right or left side of field using the sideline as an extra defender"

NCAA rule:

Kicking tees may not elevate the ball more than one

inch above the ground.

 

Many high school soccer-style kickers use the one inch tee already. I don't know about Popham, but the Bell Co. kicker has always used the one inch tee. This is more what they are used to (kicking off ground) in soccer. It also helps them adjust to the new NCAA rule for kickoffs. Most use the one-inch block for field goals and PATs as well, in order to adjust more easily to the "no tee rule" in NCAA.

Popham is a great kicker. He is highly ranked on Prokicker.com camp rankings nationally as #21 kicker/punter combo. Bell's kicker, Merrick, is ranked not too far behind him with fairly comparable numbers 43rd overall (#1 Class of 2009). Popham is a senior. Merrick is a sophomore in his second year as varsity starter. Bell, unlike most mountain teams, has established the kicking game. This will surely prove to be an advantage come Rockcastle and playoff time. Popham and Merrick both have strong hangtimes. College recruiters look for touchbacks WITH hangtimes, not just drilled into endzone. Even if returns were allowed as in D-1 ball, these guys have long, high kicks. Pophams average distance at camp for kickoffs was around 65 yards with 70 yards the longest. Merricks longest was 68, at time a new Kentucky camper record for Prokicker, only to be broken later this summer by Popham. Merrick's distance was shorter, but his hangtimes were longer than Pophams. The kicking game is an exciting part of football. Just ask Bobby Bowden, or Payton Manning, and other great players and coaches whose fate rode on the foot of a kicker on a Saturday or Sunday!

 

I went to prokicker.com

 

1. Nice website

2. Again to be ranked, one has to go to these combines, so if one does not go to this they have no chance to be ranked in the "nation"

3. Congrats to all who made it, it shows they take their position very serious

4. Was not impressed with the hangtimes, the best in the nation averaged 3.87 seconds of hangtime, the best guy. A very returnable ball. But hey, keep in mind these guys are in H.S. Keep working you never know!

 

I for one love to watch kickers hit them, I kicked back in the 80's and I like to see the kicker position evolve like it has.

 

P.S want to see CCH kicker, heard he's good. I live in Louisville and go to Trinity and X games a lot. I'll tell you Trinity's Punter/Kicker. Best I've seen in a long time.

 

X and Trinity has always had great kicking