Next fall, teams will kick off at the 35-yard line instead of the 30. Also, players on the kicking team can’t line up for the play behind the 30-yard line, which is intended to limit the running start kicking teams used to have during the play.
Also, touchbacks on free kicks will be moved to the 25-yard line instead of the 20 to encourage more touchbacks. Touchbacks on other plays (for example, punts that go into the end zone, or fumbles that go out of the end zone) will remain at the 20-yard line.
The recommended changes came from the Football Rules Committee after that group examined NCAA data showing that injuries during kickoffs occur more often than in other phases of the game.
Another new rule that goes into effect next season is if a player loses his helmet (other than as the result of a foul by the opponent, such as a facemask), it will be treated like an injury. The player must leave the game and is not allowed to participate for the next play.
Current injury timeout rules guard against using this rule to gain an advantage from stopping the clock. Additionally, if a player loses his helmet, he must not continue to participate in the play, in order to protect him from injury.
Data from the 2011 season indicated that helmets came off of players more than twice per game.
The rules panel also approved new wording in the football rules book regarding blocking below the waist. Offensive players in the tackle box at the snap who are not in motion are allowed to block below the waist legally without restriction. All other players are restricted from blocking below the waist with a few exceptions (for example, straight-ahead blocks).
There will also be a new rule prohibiting players from leaping over blockers in an attempt to block a punt. Receiving-team players trying to jump over a shield-blocking scheme has become popular for teams in punt formation. Receiving-team players try to defeat this scheme by rushing into the backfield to block a punt. In some cases, these players are contacted and end up flipping in the air and landing on their head or shoulders.
The Football Rules Committee raised concern about this type of action and proposed a rule similar to the leaping rule on place kicks that does not allow the receiving team to jump over blockers, unless the player jumps straight up or between two players.
via http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/20...
Comments
"Also, touchbacks on free kicks will be moved to the 25-yard line instead of the 20 to encourage more touchbacks."
Ummm, maybe I'm being dense, but how will this *increase* the number of touchbacks? Wouldn't you *not* want to get a touchback so that the opposing team doesn't have as good of field position?
The helmet rule is good, though. I've said for a while they needed something like this.
?
I think you are thinking about the kicking team but the comment means that the receiving team will opt for more touchbacks since they get it on the 25 not the 20.
Could be a possibility..
But couldnt the kicking team just kick it a shorter distance in order to force a return? Now a 20 yard return will still be better than a touchback
Yeah, this was what I was thinking...
Assuming kickers are good enough to do that
Most college kickers would likely shank it out of bounds in an effort to pooch kick, IIRC.
edit
Double posted
Touchback on kickoff rule seems really dumb. They moved the kick five yards closer to the end zone... and made a touchback 5 yards better for the offense. I'm guessing they didn't feel that moving the kick five yards closer was not good enough to encourage more touchbacks. It seems to me kickers should practice kicking as high as possible and letting the ball reach the goal line. When the returners receives the kick, the opposition should be at least 5 yards closer to tackling him, if not more due to increased hang time. That might be worth the risk if the kicking team can consistently tackle the returner around the 15 yard line rather than conceding possession to the offense at the 25.
Helmet rule?
How will the helmet rule work? Will the team be penalized if the player continues to play after the helmet being knocked off? Going to be some contraversy there...
so this is how they're doin it.......
For a long time now, the touchy/feely group has wanted to eliminate the kick off from the game. This is a step closer to that. Don't think a player needs to leave the field every time he loses his helmet for the next play, but only if he loses it on the next play also. This could lead to teams having a problem with containing a player on the opposing defense and intentionally ripping at his helmet to get him off the field for the next play.
I think the way it's written indicates pretty clearly that if the other team rips your helmet off, you don't have to go off.