Rules changes usually go from NFL to NCAA to high school - for example, the "throwing a pass away outside of the tackle box" rule, or the 3-point line in basketball. However, the NFL is going to start using the NCAA's "a fair catch on a kickoff is spotted at the 25" rule this season.

I should be surprised that they haven't taken it one step further, especially in preseason, which is the perfect time to test rules: the kicking team would have the choice of either giving the other team the ball on its own 25, or kicking off normally (i.e. trying an onside kick), but if the receiving team recovers in its own half of the field, the ball is moved to the 50.

Now there's a crazy idea...let FBS teams that are not bowl eligible play one additional game, at one of the two team's home fields, if they agree to use whatever crazy NCAA experimental rules it wants to test out.

On Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 2:19:43 PM UTC-7, The NOTBCS Guy wrote:
> Rules changes usually go from NFL to NCAA to high school - for example, the "throwing a pass away outside of the tackle box" rule, or the 3-point line in basketball. However, the NFL is going to start using the NCAA's "a fair catch on a kickoff is spotted at the 25" rule this season.
>
> I should be surprised that they haven't taken it one step further, especially in preseason, which is the perfect time to test rules: the kicking team would have the choice of either giving the other team the ball on its own 25, or kicking off normally (i.e. trying an onside kick), but if the receiving team recovers in its own half of the field, the ball is moved to the 50.

Yeah, just abolish the kickoff.

I'd probably change your other proposal (not that it's a bad one, I was just thinking of something else).

Kickoffs are now banned.
The team who either gets the option by the coin toss or has scored a touchdown or field goal has two options:
Either the other team gets the ball on their 25.
Or 4th and 15 for the "kicking" team, from THEIR 25.

Mike

This would probably also be a nice time to revisit the "spot and choose" overtime model.

Team winning the coin toss can either spot the start of the overtime (1st and 10 from that spot) or choose which team gets the ball after the other team spots it. In the former case, the other team chooses who gets the ball.

Mike

> > I should be surprised that they haven't taken it one step further, especially in preseason, which is the perfect time to test rules: the kicking team would have the choice of either giving the other team the ball on its own 25, or kicking off normally (i.e. trying an onside kick), but if the receiving team recovers in its own half of the field, the ball is moved to the 50.
> Yeah, just abolish the kickoff.
>
> I'd probably change your other proposal (not that it's a bad one, I was just thinking of something else).
>
> Kickoffs are now banned.
> The team who either gets the option by the coin toss or has scored a touchdown or field goal has two options:
> Either the other team gets the ball on their 25.
> Or 4th and 15 for the "kicking" team, from THEIR 25.

I am not a fan of this one. I prefer the onside kick opportunity.

> This would probably also be a nice time to revisit the "spot and choose" overtime model.
>
> Team winning the coin toss can either spot the start of the overtime (1st and 10 from that spot) or choose which team gets the ball after the other team spots it.
> In the former case, the other team chooses who gets the ball.

Could be a major advantage if one team has a decent long range field goal kicker.

On 5/23/2023 5:19 PM, The NOTBCS Guy wrote:
> Rules changes usually go from NFL to NCAA to high school - for example, the "throwing a pass away outside of the tackle box" rule, or the 3-point line in basketball. However, the NFL is going to start using the NCAA's "a fair catch on a kickoff is spotted at the 25" rule this season.
>
> I should be surprised that they haven't taken it one step further, especially in preseason, which is the perfect time to test rules: the kicking team would have the choice of either giving the other team the ball on its own 25, or kicking off normally (i.e. trying an onside kick), but if the receiving team recovers in its own half of the field, the ball is moved to the 50.
>

Eff that. Make a fair catch inside the 20 and get the ball at the 20.

--
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In
practice, there is." Ruben Goldberg