NFL owners approve 25-yard touchback rule, change in injured reserve designation

“Do you want the kicking game in the game or not in the game?" McCarthy said during an NFC coaches breakfast at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. "If it’s in the game let’s kick it and return it and let’s play the play.
"I just don’t like, let’s not reward a decision not to compete with five extra yards. If we’re going to compete, let’s compete. If we’re not going to compete, let’s not compete.”

I think I agree with him, but maybe he should have had another cup of coffee before answering the question. I don't like this one. What's next; just automatically spot the ball at the 25 every time there's a score or the start of a half?
 
Two words. Player safety. Like it or not that's going to be the theme in rules for the foreseeable future. Follow the money.....and the lawyers
 
Two words. Player safety. Like it or not that's going to be the theme in rules for the foreseeable future. Follow the money.....and the lawyers

Ding, ding, ding . . . we have a winner. The lawyers and accountants have taken over.

It'll be interesting to see if the coaches now try to "game" the rule. Tell their kickers to kick it higher and shorter forcing teams to field it and trying to force teams to return it, hoping they can stop them short of the 25. That will mean even more collisions and send the rules committee back to the drawing board in 2017.
 
Two words. Player safety. Like it or not that's going to be the theme in rules for the foreseeable future. Follow the money.....and the lawyers

I think this will contradict player safety. Kickers will now start trying to drop the ball inside the five and allow the defense to stop them before the 25. There will be more returns now as a result of this rule.
 
I think this will contradict player safety. Kickers will now start trying to drop the ball inside the five and allow the defense to stop them before the 25. There will be more returns now as a result of this rule.
Why don't they do that already if the strategy is to pin a team back? Is 5 yards worth the risk / reward. On the surface this seems like a PR rule.
 
Why don't they do that already if the strategy is to pin a team back? Is 5 yards worth the risk / reward. On the surface this seems like a PR rule.

I'm not sure. I was echoing what I heard a couple NFL analyst saying. Yards are a premium. If the kickers can try to kick it higher and drop it inside the five they may be able to pin teams inside the 25. I guess only time will tell.
 
I'm not sure. I was echoing what I heard a couple NFL analyst saying. Yards are a premium. If the kickers can try to kick it higher and drop it inside the five they may be able to pin teams inside the 25. I guess only time will tell.

Agree time will tell. I've never been a fan of the competition committee. This rule came from above them imo
 
Both of the trial rule changes have a high risk of being counterproductive.

Touchbacks to 25 will likely both increase number of KO returns and increase scoring a tiny bit. I don't like it, but Mason is pretty good at kicking to the corner and our coverage teams were excellent, so it may benefit GB. I see this reversed in a year.

I'd rather a) increase gameday roster by, say, two players, so that there's chance of playing more young and cheap ST specialists (maybe even design those as STs only players), decreasing injury risk to stars, or b) eliminate KO, every drive starts at the 20. I feel there's something romantic about the opening kickoff, and super dramatic about a big momentum-changing KO return right after the opponent has scored, though. I'd hate to see it go. Accept the damn risk! It's a contact sport!

Automatic ejections are silly, since a) there's such wildly varying degrees of severity of unsportsmanlike conduct, and b) it's often such a judgement call, anyways. The automatic application is what's wonky. Say, two excessive TD celebrations --> you're automatically out?! Throw the star of the game out for THAT?! Imagine the outroar. I thought it was fine that refs had right to eject a guy if he did something flagrant and/or dangerous, maybe give right to take multiple lesser ones into account to eject someone who clearly doesn't heed refs' warning.
 
I think the bigger news in the change in injured reserved-designation. If a player's rehab is coming along quicker than expected you can move him to the new designation at that time rather than right away after the injury has occurred.
 
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