NCAA Kickoff Rule Changes Minor In Practice, Major In Potential

The

NCAA approved a handful of rules changes

for 2012, most notably alterations to kickoffs. Teams will now boot from the 35 instead of the 30. Touchbacks on kickoffs (but only kickoffs) will result in placement at the 25-yard line. The rest remain at the 20. Finally, kicking teams’ coverage units cannot line up any further than five yards behind the ball, thus at the 30.

Other rules, including stricter policies on lost helmets and blocks below the waist were also enacted. Kickoffs are the forefront of an overwhelming amount of butthurt around the ‘net. Let’s get the obvious punchline and gratuitous classic Simpsons moment out of the way:

A prelude of levity is needed for this very heavy situation. Calls to change kickoff rules stem from the 2010 spinal cord injury Rutgers’ Eric LeGrand suffered. EL continues to battle every day to walk again with a champion’s determination.

His face is a very public one for kickoff reform — not that he would ask for it to be. Nevertheless though, his horrific injury began outcries, most notably from his former head coach, Greg Schiano. Schiano’s suggestion a year ago was to eliminate kickoffs altogether.

Kickoffs are indeed the most dangerous plays from a schematic perspective. Whereas collisions elsewhere occur within small confines, or with one player relatively stationery, kickoffs become full-speed, head-on collisions. From the above linked article:

"“It’s the one play doctors are most fearful of,” McInerney said. “That’s the one play where it looks like Brave Heart – everyone is running at each other and screaming – and the collisions are not even comparable to other plays in the game.”"

Those decrying today’s NCAA ruling as somehow ruining the integrity of the game should realize this is a compromise — at the very worst from their standpoint. Furthermore, statistics suggest the extra five yards won’t result in the end of kickoff returns.

Oklahoma State had the most touchbacks last season with 61. That’s a full one-third more than the next highest total, Auburn’s 40. OSU’s Quinn Sharp needed 114 attempts to boot those 61 touchbacks, a rate of under 54 percent. In fact, only OSU and Auburn cleared 50 percent on touchbacks from its attempt. Heck, the Cowboys and Tigers were the only teams to boot touchbacks on more than 44 percent of their kickoffs.

The return isn’t going anywhere. And if the extra yards of difference both on kicks and on the coverage team’s run-up result in even one fewer injury, it’s worth it.