I wish you had read my posts, and I hope this one isn’t too long. This is coming from my perspective as a coach who played, and who’s kids played. No one is taking contact out of the sport. The kickoff is a largely ceremonial play, that doesn’t get executed well at lower levels, and results in nothing (a touchback, or a squib that isn’t returned) when executed perfectly, while still exposing players to dangerous, high speed, head on collisions. The kickoff is dangerous enough that most don’t practice it live. If it’s too dangerous to practice, it shouldn’t be in games.

 

That’s not being soft. It’s being sensible.

 

It’s part of the game. You take away one part of the game and people start saying you should take away other parts for the same reason(s). It’s a slippery and dangerous slope for football.

It’s part of the game. You take away one part of the game and people start saying you should take away other parts for the same reason(s). It’s a slippery and dangerous slope for football.

 

No other play requires players to run full speed for 15+ yards and crash into each other head on at full speed. Nearly every major injury I’ve seen in my 35 years around the sport has happened on kickoffs. Major concussions. Compound fractures. Multiple dislocations. Yes injuries happen on all plays. But so many occur on a play that makes up a tiny fraction of the game, that the desired outcome is no return. So why not get rid of that play? You can’t take all contact out. But you can take out unnecessary, dangerous contact.

BTW, this is a discussion item for Kentucky, (it has been one other time a few years ago as well.) I dont see anything changing yet, but things are being discussed.

No other play requires players to run full speed for 15+ yards and crash into each other head on at full speed.

 

Any receiver running a crossing pattern meeting a safety... Both running full speed, violent collision...

 

Running back busting through the line running head first into a linebacker running full speed in the opposite direction...

 

We can do this all day. In my 15 years of playing I saw many more injuries on “normal” plays than I did kickoffs. I’d rather return a kickoff than run a crossing pattern...

BTW, this is a discussion item for Kentucky, (it has been one other time a few years ago as well.) I dont see anything changing yet, but things are being discussed.

 

It’s coming. It may not happen right away, but this rule change is coming.

Any receiver running a crossing pattern meeting a safety... Both running full speed, violent collision...

 

Running back busting through the line running head first into a linebacker running full speed in the opposite direction...

 

We can do this all day. In my 15 years of playing I saw many more injuries on “normal” plays than I did kickoffs. I’d rather return a kickoff than run a crossing pattern...

 

Of course you see more injuries on normal plays. There are 100 of them every game vs a handful of kickoffs. Injuries occur on a higher percentage of kickoffs than “normal plays”. And while I agree the plays you describe can result in big hits, very rarely do they involve BOTH players, running 15 or more yards at top speed before colliding head on, like you see on kickoffs. Even in the receiver on a crossing route scenario, typically the defender only gets a few steps before contact and is not at full speed.

 

I hate to see kickoffs go away. It was where I (if not most) got my first varsity action as a sophomore. But if you really look at it, they aren’t necessary to the game, and removing them makes the game safer. I’d rather lose kickoffs, than lose football.

Of course you see more injuries on normal plays. There are 100 of them every game vs a handful of kickoffs. Injuries occur on a higher percentage of kickoffs than “normal plays”. And while I agree the plays you describe can result in big hits, very rarely do they involve BOTH players, running 15 or more yards at top speed before colliding head on, like you see on kickoffs. Even in the receiver on a crossing route scenario, typically the defender only gets a few steps before contact and is not at full speed.

 

I hate to see kickoffs go away. It was where I (if not most) got my first varsity action as a sophomore. But if you really look at it, they aren’t necessary to the game, and removing them makes the game safer. I’d rather lose kickoffs, than lose football.

 

If you start down that slope you're going to likely lose both in the next 20 years. It'll be more like at 7 on 7 passing league before long.

If you start down that slope you're going to likely lose both in the next 20 years. It'll be more like at 7 on 7 passing league before long.

 

Even the NFL acknowledges that kickoffs are dangerous, and we know they generally don’t acknowledge anything like that.

 

We can’t sit around and do nothing. That’s more likely to kill the sport than actively addressing the safety issues of the sport. We worry about the sport becoming a 7 on 7 passing league. At higher levels, that’s already happened.

If you start down that slope you're going to likely lose both in the next 20 years. It'll be more like at 7 on 7 passing league before long.

 

Saw a kid break his neck on 7 on 7, two years ago. Dont tell me its safer.

Even the NFL acknowledges that kickoffs are dangerous, and we know they generally don’t acknowledge anything like that.

 

We can’t sit around and do nothing. That’s more likely to kill the sport than actively addressing the safety issues of the sport. We worry about the sport becoming a 7 on 7 passing league. At higher levels, that’s already happened.

 

I think you biggest issue is identifying if it is really a safety issue vs the normal parts of the game. Sure from an eye test it looks that way, but what do the numbers really say.

 

Part of what I am getting at, is there are more and more teams doing onside/short kicks than ever before, so the deep kick isnt happening as much, so is it really as big of an issue as it seems? Dont know, no one has studied it (at least in KY) hard core enough to say one way or the other. This is all eye test speculation at this point

The kicking game is more like a car crash at the Freshman level and sometimes at the JV level as well. Sure it gives more kids a chance to be on the field but there are more injury risks on those plays.

This is not the last we will hear of this. In the next 5 years, we will see kickoffs eliminated from all levels of football up to and including the NFL. This year in NCAA these is a change that receiving team can fair catch a kickoff inside of the 25 and take it as a touch back out to the 25.

 

There was a PROPOSAL this year for NCAA to eliminate the kickoff. In lieu of onside kicks, the kicking team could have the ball 4th and 15 on their own 35.

 

The kickoff is soon to walk off to the sunset, joining the leather helmet as the topic of folklore

 

Crazy Talk! :eyeonyou:

There sure seems to be a lot of passion for the "sky is falling" opinion. If some on this thread had their way, we'd still be in leather helmets. Remember when people thought those wearing a facemask were "soft"? Yeah, that safety adjustment really ruined the game as we knew it. I do miss all the blood.

 

I agree that the proposal to put the ball on the 35 at 4th & 15 is ridiculous. But, c'mon, resistance to any change at all is pretty short sighted. Perhaps a result of too many kick off coverage runs?

I will now attempt to explain my viewpoint(s) on this subject.....

 

 

1. Younger kids do not generally perform kick-offs successfully. This is my argument for keeping it, especially in frosh and JV games. If we are planning on keeping KO's at the varsity level and in college, the kickers need developed and that needs practice and skill.

 

2. I am a team doctor and have been for years. I have only had 1 injury on a KO in 20+ years and 0 concussions. I am all about safety but my numbers don't show me how doing away with KO's will make the game safer.

Saw a kid break his neck on 7 on 7, two years ago. Dont tell me its safer.

 

Please.....even though the injury you mention is horrific, 7 on 7 is not dangerous. Accidents and injuries happen in all sports and in all life activities. The point Avg Joe is just making a point by saying "7 0n 7'.