Kicking Off From the 35 Yd Line

[At Leisure]

Just wondering what others think about how the change to kicking off from the 30 yd line instead of the 35 will affect fantasy scoring....with all the touchbacks, starting at the 20 most times would seem to at least minimize touchdowns while increasing yardage. How else would it affect the scoring?

 

Will there be more opportunities for "big play TDs" and fewer "goal line TDs"?

Will there be more passing plays because scoring drives will have to cover more yards?

Will WRs then steal points away from RBs?

[Big John]

Just wondering what others think about how the change to kicking off from the 30 yd line instead of the 35 will affect fantasy scoring....with all the touchbacks, starting at the 20 most times would seem to at least minimize touchdowns while increasing yardage. How else would it affect the scoring?

It changed from the 30 to the 35 yard line. Corrected title to reflect that.

[osu1322]

Although I'm sure most kickers in the league can just boot it out of the back of the endzone...... I doubt they will. The kicking team goal is to put them in bad field position and unless they see someone like Josh Cribbs on fire, they are going to kick it where they can catch it.

[lawofmurphy]

I think most kickers will kick it into or out of the endzone and I think it's good overall for fantasy football. Those kick returns are real momentum changers...but also gamechanging. It often makes a game "out of reach" to the point that teams alter their offensive philosophy. I think it'll be good overall.

[Skippy]

I don't even get why they are going to bother with the kick. Just put the ball at the twenty if you are going to do this. Just like in baseball and the intentional walk. Just send the damn player and speed up the game.

[jjpro11]

i don't know how much it will affect FF, but it's bad for the game overall... such an exciting part of the game, and they are all but eliminating it. that said, it is good for the Steelers and their crap ST.

[whomper]

I don't even get why they are going to bother with the kick. Just put the ball at the twenty if you are going to do this. Just like in baseball and the intentional walk. Just send the damn player and speed up the game.

 

 

That would eliminate the onside kick

[Pope Flick]

If I'm not mistaken, this travesty of kicking from the 35 was actually in place until 1994 when it was moved to the 30.

 

One thing it SHOULD do is even out regular season OT games:

 

Those statistics showed that since 1994, the team that won the overtime coin toss won the game 34.4 percent of the time on the first possession.

 

Overall, the team that correctly called the coin toss won overtime games 59.8 percent of the time in the last 15 years, or since kickoffs were moved back 5 yards to the 30.

 

For the first twenty years of NFL overtime (1974-1993), the receiving team went 95-93-13 (50.5%) in the 201 overtime games.

Starting with the 1994 season, the receiving team’s record in the twelve subsequent years was 106-70-3 (60.1%) in 179 games.

 

Some disagree about the spot of the ball having an impact on these numbers, but I think the 35% first possession # is influenced by fewer touchbacks.

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Am I misremembering with age, or didn't they kick off from the 40 yard line back in the 60's and 70's?

 

I say move it up further still, to the 40. Take away kicking tees. Lets watch more onside kicks. Lets have a holder on kickoffs which should slow down pursuit of the ball carrier some. Lets have the shorter kickoffs which come from no tee. I think we would maintain the returns and field position we are use to while increasing onside kicks. Also, starting at the 40 really makes those penalties on point after touchdown attempts which are now meaningless have some real meaning.

Edited August 17, 2011 by Ditkaless Wonders

[The Holy Roller]

Am I misremembering with age, or didn't they kick off from the 40 yard line back in the 60's and 70's?

 

I say move it up further still, to the 40. Take away kicking tees. Lets watch more onside kicks. Lets have a holder on kickoffs which should slow down pursuit of the ball carrier some. Lets have the shorter kickoffs which come from no tee. I think we would maintain the returns and field position we are use to while increasing onside kicks. Also, starting at the 40 really makes those penalties on point after touchdown attempts which zre no meaningless have some real meaning.

 

I remember kickoffs from the 40 also. Did kickers start using steroids or something? I'm fine with the 35 yard line kickoff. Let's just not have a commercial immediately afterwards.

[cdj7k]

I am sorry if i missed it guys, but since the rule change was announced and more drives will be started from the 20 yard line has there been a study done on the teams with the most 80 yard or more scoring drives the last couple of years. I believe this new rule will impact positively players on teams with better qb's and coaching in general who can put together long drives compared with those who are on the other end of the scale. For instance a number 2 or 3 reciever on a team with rivers or rodgers may ultimately be more valuable than a number one with a less experienced or quality QB or offensive line that cannot consistently drive 80 yards. You guys hear what i am saying and what do you think?

[osu1322]

I remember kickoffs from the 40 also. Did kickers start using steroids or something? I'm fine with the 35 yard line kickoff. Let's just not have a commercial immediately afterwards.

 

no, kickers just started using "soccer style" kicking. In HS our head coach recruited a soccer player to kick field goal for out team. He was able to kick 50 yard FG and would scare the other team with his range.

 

The difference is the approach on the kick. Old school kicker would run forward and kick straight. The soccer style takes a swing type approach where the kicker uses the full arc of the leg and produces more power.