Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

have been approved by the owners:

[url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/22/owners-embrace-replay-for-all-scoring-plays/]Owners embrace replay for all scoring plays | ProFootballTalk[/url]

sounds good to me, pretty much what we have with college football and a step in the right direction imo.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

I like the idea but I wonder if it will noticeably slow down the game?
No more rushing to kick the extra point?
Is the kicking team going to be waiting on the field before final approval?

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

I just wish they would fully adopt the college replay system. This is a nice step though.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

Here is my question, can we just have an additional ref look at it(who is not on the field). That way the main ref doesn't need to run under the hood, have eggs thrown at him, etc. He just waits after the touchdown for another office who is sitting in a cozy room aware from everything to make the final verdict. It is radioed down to the field ref and the call is confirmed or denied.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

^ im pretty sure thats a change being consider or maybe already made for next season. There will be an official non-field review guy(s) like college.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

You would hope this is done off the field and would be pretty much done behind the scene unless its a close call and needs further review. I would think teams will not need to waist a chalange if they don't think the other teams scored.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

I'm betting it will be down pretty quickly upstairs and won't be a big deal unless the play is questionable. Good move by the league.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

Looks like the kickoff changes were also approved.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/22/kickoffs-will-be-moved-to-35-yard-line/]Kickoffs will be moved to 35-yard line | ProFootballTalk[/url]

Touchbacks will continue to be returned to the 20-yard line.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=mlmpetert;790129]I just wish they would fully adopt the college replay system. This is a nice step though.[/quote]

agreed.

The College rule may cause more reviewed plays per game but they do them much quicker...no dog and pony show with red flags and officials walking 100 yards to tuck their head in a booth and then another 100 yards back out to the field.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=Mattyk;790148][URL="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/22/kickoffs-will-be-moved-to-35-yard-line/"]Kickoffs will be moved to 35-yard line | ProFootballTalk[/URL]

Touchbacks will continue to be returned to the 20-yard line.[/quote]


Wow i really hate this move

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=mlmpetert;790154]Wow i really hate this move[/quote]

So long BB taking back KR's for TDS.. The NFL is turning into a Pussy league

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

The NFL had the 35-yard line kick-off rule before. Not sure why this is such a big deal.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

There will be more TB's but returns aren't going to be eliminated.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

Brian Mitchell made his living returning kickoffs from the 35-yard line his first few years of his career. It really isn't a big deal. I'd rather see a touchback than a nice kick off return being called back for a phantom illegal block in the back call each and every time.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=hooskins;790130]Here is my question, can we just have an additional ref look at it(who is not on the field). That way the main ref doesn't need to run under the hood, have eggs thrown at him, etc. He just waits after the touchdown for another office who is sitting in a cozy room aware from everything to make the final verdict. It is radioed down to the field ref and the call is confirmed or denied.[/quote]

MUCH too logical. It would be efficient AND effective to do it the way you suggest and that is at least part of the reason that the NFL will likely implement it in some other way...

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=skinsguy;790166]The NFL had the 35-yard line kick-off rule before. Not sure why this is such a big deal.[/quote]

Perhaps you may be old enough to recall when the kickoffs were from the 40 yardline. I am old enough to remember that - - but at my age memory is just one of the things that begins to fade...

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=sportscurmudgeon;790175]Perhaps you may be old enough to recall when the kickoffs were from the 40 yardline. I am old enough to remember that - - but at my age memory is just one of the things that begins to fade...[/quote]

I can't remember when they moved it to the 35 from the 40, might have been before my time.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=celts32;790152]agreed.

The College rule may cause more reviewed plays per game but they do them much quicker...no dog and pony show with red flags and officials walking 100 yards to tuck their head in a booth and then another 100 yards back out to the field.[/quote]


I kind of like the game of giving the coach the chance to challenge the play but I would like it to be reviewed in the booth like college.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

the touchback is still going to the 20 thats the only thing that matters, they were talking about moving it to the 25 i think. it's a good move if the nfl is serious about player health, they were also talking about getting rid of the two man wedge as well, not sure where they stand on that right now.

one rule that i think should be changed for kick offs is the god awful out-of-bounds rule. if the ball does not land in-bounds then yeah sure give them the ball on the 35. but if a kick lands in-bounds at the 5 and then bounces out at the 2, i say the ball should be placed at the 2, not the 35. if the kicker is good enough to place it there then why punish them for a great kick?

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

There's still going to be 2 man wedges.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=mlmdub130;790185]the touchback is still going to the 20 thats the only thing that matters, they were talking about moving it to the 25 i think. it's a good move if the nfl is serious about player health, they were also talking about getting rid of the two man wedge as well, not sure where they stand on that right now.

one rule that i think should be changed for kick offs is the god awful out-of-bounds rule. if the ball does not land in-bounds then yeah sure give them the ball on the 35. but if a kick lands in-bounds at the 5 and then bounces out at the 2, i say the ball should be placed at the 2, not the 35. if the kicker is good enough to place it there then why punish them for a great kick?[/quote]

Then you'll definitely never have a kick-off return.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=mlmdub130;790185]one rule that i think should be changed for kick offs is the god awful out-of-bounds rule. if the ball does not land in-bounds then yeah sure give them the ball on the 35. but if a kick lands in-bounds at the 5 and then bounces out at the 2, i say the ball should be placed at the 2, not the 35. if the kicker is good enough to place it there then why punish them for a great kick?[/quote]


I like that rule

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=firstdown;790184]I kind of like the game of giving the coach the chance to challenge the play but I would like it to be reviewed in the booth like college.[/quote]


College allows a coach to challenge if the review booth doesnt. College is years ahead of the NFL when it comes to replay. The whole practice is just faster and more well done.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=skinsguy;790189]Then you'll definitely never have a kick-off return.[/quote]

why not? guys can't catch the ball next to the sidelines? they do it for punt returns.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=mlmpetert;790193]I like that rule[/quote]

i'm not saying eliminate the rule, if the ball lands out-of-bounds then ball at 35. but if a kicker can "coffin-corner"(i think thats the madden term, been a while) someone on a kickoff why not let him try? if he f's up the ball is goin to the 35, i justr don't see penalizing the kicker for what i consider a pretty impressive kick

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

Might as well just eliminate returns if you can kick it out of bounds. It wouldn't be that hard to do with kickers these days.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

i'm not saying you can just kick it out, the ball has to land in-bounds which would give a returner a chance to catch it, and i think you are seriously under estimating how hard of a kick that is

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

Honestly I haven't given it much thought, because in reality the chance of it becoming an actual rule is slim to none.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

[quote=mlmdub130;790265]i'm not saying you can just kick it out, the ball has to land in-bounds which would give a returner a chance to catch it, and i think you are seriously under estimating how hard of a kick that is[/quote]

I dunno...I've seen it happen quite a few times, I don't think it would be as challenging as what you're thinking. I doubt we'd see a rule like that any time soon.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

If the goal of moving the kick-offs is to reduce returns and thereby reduce injuries, they might as well have just eliminated kickoffs entirely.

or how about this. Have only one player for each team on the field. A kicker and a receiver. the receiver may not return the kick. he can just catch it (to keep it from rolling backwards). the ball is placed wherever it is caught or rolls to.

Or...since most of the injuries on kickoffs occur to coverage specialsts being blocked by blockers on the return team - don't give the return guy any blockers. the kicking team has a kicker and one coverage guy on the field. if the return guy can beat both of them and return the ball, the receiving team gets a touchdown.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

I like this change, it's a good idea to have all scoring plays reviewable. I wish the NFL would copy the NHL's idea and do like they do. The NHL has a main office in Toronto where they have big screen tv's and a bunch of officials that watch every game and are on standby if a goal or something needs to be reviewed. Anytime something needs to be reviewed it doesn't take nearly as much time as it does in the NFL. If the NFL did that they'd save a lot of the time it takes to review a replay.

Re: Automatic Replays for All Scoring Plays
 

Forget an onsides kick for the moment; there are rules that apply to those plays and those seem not to be considered for change. I want to think about rules changes for "ordinary kickoffs"

On "ordinary kickoffs" there are only 4 possibilities as to where the ball ends up:

1. Out of bounds
2. In bounds outside the goal line
3. In the end-zone
4. Out the back end of the end-zone.

The idea seems to be that the league wants to reduce injuries incurred on kickoff plays by restricting the speed at which players collide on those plays. Whether or not they can succeed in that undertaking remains to be seen, but that seems to be the intent.

Fans - - and some players and coaches too - - fear that kickoffs will be legislated out of the game so let's take a look at the four possibilities above and see if there is a way to achieve both ends.

1. Kick off from the 35-yardline but do not allow the kick coverage team more than a 5-yard running start. That will slow down some of the impacts on blocks in advance of the returner.

2. Require the kicking team to have 5 players standing upright between the 45 and 50 yardlines and those players cannot leave that zone of the field until the ball has passed over their heads - - or by their feet if the kick is a squibb kick. That will create less possibility for massing of blockers in front of the returner meaning less need for "wedge busting".

3. With regard to ball placement on touchbacks, make the kicking team decide what it wants to do in terms of preventing a return versus giving up field position.
[INDENT]a. If a kickoff goes out of the end-zone on the fly, the ball is put at the 20-yardline. (Possibility #4 above)

b. If the ball goes out of bounds, put the ball on the 40-yardline. (Possibility #1 above)

c. If the ball is kicked such that it lands in the end-zone on the fly - - but not out the back of the end zone on the fly - - put the ball on the 30-yardline. (Possibility #3 above)

d. If the ball lands in the field of play and the return team allows it to go into the end zone without returning it, put the ball at the 10-yardline.[/INDENT]
Kicking teams can either go for a long kick to get the ball out of the end zone or risk having the ball come out to the 30-yardline if the ball were to land in the end zone before bouncing over the backliine.

Return teams have to defend against the kickoff team hitting a line drive kick that lands inbounds and then scoots into the end-zone (and/or over the line) and choosing not to return it thereby putting the ball on the 10-yardline. That means there will have to be at least two players deep on the kickoff reducing the potential for mass blocking situations.

I'd like to see the league try these rules in a few of the exhibition games and then tweak them before trying them in real games. But these rules would seem to meet everyone's objectives AND it would make the kickoffs more strategic.

Just random thoughts while waiting for the lawyers to submit their monthly tallies of billable hours to the league and to the union...