"Pooch" Kickoffs & Touchbacks

[Perfect72]

Seeking opinions on the rule change in the NFL on Kickoffs that a touchback results in the offense getting the ball at their own 25 yard line.

Seems like some teams started figuring out that if you have your kicker "Pooch" the ball & kick it VERY high and that the ball lands at or near the goal line could often result in keeping the opponent well short of the 25 yard line.

It has also backfired a few times and teams got big returns; but it seems as though the kickers should get it figured out fairly quickly.

Do you think you will see MORE kickoff returns going forward instead of the kickers simply kicking the ball out of the end zone?

This would seem to be an ironic unintended consequence of the rule in that the NFL desired LESS kickoff returns to help minimize injuries & specifically concussions.

Would like to see some "Hard Numbers" that either supports or refutes this hypothesis from you Stat Gurus.

Your thoughts?

 

[datruth55]

The NFL's intent has definitely backfired. It might come to a point where they just give the team the ball at the 20 to start the game.

 

[justbgreen]

Move the kick off back to the 30. Kicks that are downed in the end zone, come out to the 20. Kicks that are kicked out of the end zone are placed at the 15. This gives the kicking team a real incentive to kick the ball out of the end zone. It also gives the receiving team a reason to keep it from going out of the end zone.

 

[Bumpus]