Replace kickoffs with 4th & 15?

• WebFire

  Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is proposing the following idea:
  

  This is Schiano’s plan: Replace all kickoffs with a punting situation, including after the opening coin toss and to start the second half. So, as an example, when Team A scores a touchdown, it immediately gets the ball back on a fourth and 15 from its own 30-yard line.
  
  It can punt it back to Team B — the most likely outcome and a safer play since the bigger collisions usually happen on kickoffs.
  
  Or it can line up and go for the first down, essentially replacing an onside kick with an offensive play that would require more skill than luck.

  So no more kickoffs or on-side kicks. What you say?
  
  Full article: http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2011/06/politi_inspired_by_eric_legran.html
• j_crazy

  

  WebFire;791972 wrote:Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is proposing the following idea:
  
  
  
  So no more kickoffs or on-side kicks. What you say?

  DO NOT WANT!
• SportsAndLady

  

  No thanks.
• ts1227

  

  I see what he is getting at, but it comes off as quite gimmicky at first glance. Feels like the XFL opening scrum to determine possession or something of that sort. Not a fan.
• WebFire

  I'd also be interested in some stats on kickoff injuries. I see many people refer kickoff injuries and how kickoffs or unsafe. But I don't really recall too many major injuries from them.
• SportsAndLady

  

  WebFire;791982 wrote:I'd also be interested in some stats on kickoff injuries. I see many people refer kickoff injuries and how kickoffs or unsafe. But I don't really recall too many major injuries from them.

  
  I would as well.
  
  I'm sure Schiano is just thinking about Eric LeGrand and his horrible injury last year against Navy on the kickoff.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  I think that takes a big part of special teams out of the game, and that hurts the game itself. I have no problem with tinkering with rules to try and make things safer, and the game better, but this does neither. You can get hurt on a punt play just as easily as a kickoff return, or a 4th and 15 for that matter.
• jordo212000

  

  Dumb
• athlete37

  

  And wait till "kickoffs" become bad snaps or blocked punts returned for touchdowns... sounds intriguing, but keep it the way it is. Also, a team that scores a lead changing touchdown in the waning seconds could now run the clock out on fourth and fifteen instead of having to kick off
• WebFire

  athlete37;792458 wrote:And wait till "kickoffs" become bad snaps or blocked punts returned for touchdowns... sounds intriguing, but keep it the way it is. Also, a team that scores a lead changing touchdown in the waning seconds could now run the clock out on fourth and fifteen instead of having to kick off

  
  I'm sure it would remain an untimed down.
• athlete37

  

  WebFire;792481 wrote:I'm sure it would remain an untimed down.

  
  What I'm saying is a team could run out the final 4 seconds if they really wanted too from a shotgun snap and deep pass or kneel after running around. And if they punt without the clock running what incenctive is there to not return it laterally as much as possible, seeing how there will be another down after it?
• WebFire

  athlete37;792485 wrote:What I'm saying is a team could run out the final 4 seconds if they really wanted too from a shotgun snap and deep pass or kneel after running around. And if they punt without the clock running what incenctive is there to not return it laterally as much as possible, seeing how there will be another down after it?

  
  No, they couldn't do that. It would be untimed like an extra point. I would imagine on a punt, the clock would start when the receiver catches it, like a current kickoff.
  
  IDK, just throwing out what seems logical to me.
• ytownfootball

  

  Apparently Greg Schiano realizes he missed "striking while the iron is hot"...
• vball10set

  ytownfootball;792503 wrote:Apparently Greg Schiano realizes he missed "striking while the iron is hot"...

  
  man is that the understatement of the year!!!
• athlete37

  

  WebFire;792490 wrote:No, they couldn't do that. It would be untimed like an extra point. I would imagine on a punt, the clock would start when the receiver catches it, like a current kickoff.
  
  IDK, just throwing out what seems logical to me.

  
  That makes sense. I guess a new concern would come about if the team that just scored was down. They could run an untimed hook and ladder play and still have time left after. All speculative though.
• Tobias Fünke

  

  It would make more sense to just give the opposing team the ball on the 30.
• georgemc80

  What if you score another touchdown on your "kickoff"? Did team A suddenly score 14 points ?
• athlete37

  

  georgemc80;792579 wrote:What if you score another touchdown on your "kickoff"? Did team A suddenly score 14 points ?

  
  Also a good point. As long as there's time to run one play and keep at least a second on the clock the game could theoretically never end lol
• lhslep134

  

  georgemc80;792579 wrote:What if you score another touchdown on your "kickoff"? Did team A suddenly score 14 points ?

  
  What if you kick off and the other team fumbles it and it's returned for a touchdown? Did your team just score 14 points?
• Manhattan Buckeye

  Tobias Fünke;792517 wrote:It would make more sense to just give the opposing team the ball on the 30.

  
  +1,000,000
  
  Perhaps Schiano is thinking too much about staying at Rutgers. This might be the dumbest idea in college football history.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Manhattan Buckeye;792835 wrote:Perhaps Schiano is thinking too much about staying at Rutgers.

  
  Do you think they are going to fire him soon? After 11+ seasons with him as their coach?
• Manhattan Buckeye

  Perhaps he still has PSU thoughts? I don't think Rutgers will fire him. They aren't getting any better. Terrible facilities, no help from the academic departments (that somehow think Rutgers is a top school - laugh), no community support. Schiano is as good as they will get. Still, wonder what would happen if he took the Miami job - couldn't have screwed up more than Shannon.
• Sonofanump

  WebFire;792481 wrote:I'm sure it would remain an untimed down.

  
  A try after a touchdown is untimed. The clock runs after the receiving team touches the ball on a free kick.
• Sonofanump

  WebFire;791982 wrote:I'd also be interested in some stats on kickoff injuries. I see many people refer kickoff injuries and how kickoffs or unsafe. But I don't really recall too many major injuries from them.

  
  Those injuries have been drastically reduced due to outlawing the wedge and the kicking team "blocking" below the waist except against the runner.
• WebFire

  Sonofanump;792923 wrote:A try after a touchdown is untimed. The clock runs after the receiving team touches the ball on a free kick.

  
  I understand that. But I don't see how you could make a 4th &15 a timed down, as athlete37 pointed out.