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Mikey · 08-24-2022, 08:48 AM

(08-23-2022, 05:25 PM)mikesez Wrote:
(08-17-2022, 03:58 PM)Mikey Wrote: The shield is trying to kill the return play, so I doubt this gets any legs.

I do like the idea of a touchback penalizing the kicking team, maybe leave the yardage in place, but the receiving team gets a point. Returners could then risk letting a ball bounce and carom out of the end zone, or bounce back toward the kicking team, or somewhere in between, all while the ball is live.

I think if you want to make a progressive penalty, you start with initial touchback closer to the receiving goal, say the 25 or 30, and then slowly work your way upfield.

If I were to suggest any tweak to the kickoff, it would be that receiving and kicking team players would line up at the ball, as we see with punt returns. Only the returners would be back deep. When the kicker begins his approach, the receiving team could then choose to drop back into blocking/onside coverage or block the gunners at the point. You'd see a lot less high-speed impacts like you tend to see when guys have 20-30 yards to get heads of steam going in opposing directions before laying their initial blocks.

It would be probably become impossible to execute an onside kick with those rules. If members of the receiving team are allowed to push and shove you the whole way, how do you run 10 yd in time to catch your own team's kick?

@git gud@

You could scheme blocks to free one of your guys. You could line up like a regular kick to force at least one of their guys deep to even the matchups. You could kick a 'blooper' 20-some yards downfield and catch them off guard. Spread the guys across the line, and kick to a particular player/zone on the field. The rest are decoys to draw defenders away from the kick.

Seriously, watch punt coverage. gunners often have multiple guys blocking or harassing them downfield, yet they still get downfield. NFL players are capable of shedding blocks, coaches are capable of scheming plays to give their team and advantage. I'd much rather see what boils down to an Oklahoma drill to contest the onside kick recovery than two guys colliding with ten yards' worth of steam behind them.