Rules changes for high school, college football

Here's the thing about trying to increase touchbacks ... a lot of the fierce hits they're trying to prevent happen before the ball gets into the end zone.

Especially in high school, where as MileHigh notes, there are many more size mismatches and some kids on the kickoff team are looking to settle scores with cheap shots.

 

Played a total of 12 games over three seasons in the NFL, almost all of it as a kickoff guy.

http://www.nfl.com/player/scottbentley/2499632/profile

Now is a customer service manager and an avid softball player in Colorado.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Bentley

 

I remember watching the Georgia-Boise game and being infuriated with how often Georgia players' helmets were flying off. Told a story of indiscipline, so this rule is absolutely fine with me.

 

If your helmet flies off, it means you've either taken a substantial blow to the head, or your helmet is not strapped on securely enough, so go sit down for a play.

Move kickoffs to the 50, touchbacks to the 30, and change the onside-kick distance to 5 yards.

Teams would probably try onside kicks 25% of the time, more when trailing.

Onside kickoffs mean big pileups, but most of the people in them would only get a run-up of 5-10 yards, not 50-60 yards, before they dive into the pile, so catastrophic-injury collisions would be greatly reduced.

 

A viewpoint I hadn't appreciated when I saw this yesterday. What I saw happening was the strong-legged kicker booting it 7-8 yards deep into the end zone and the return man taking a knee so that the ball goes out to the 25.

Most juco kickers have trouble getting to the end zone, so there wouldn't be any net change at that level that I can see.

A rule I'd like to see: The punter loses protection if he doesn't kick the ball before he takes three steps. Eliminate that stupid rugby punt that just as often burns the kicking team as anything else.

 

How many college kickers have the precision necessary to knock it dead at the 1 without going out of bounds. Speaking of which, does that penalty now get moved back to start at the 35 again?

 

You'll either see kickers trying to get a lot more loft on kickoffs, hoping to pin the return guy back or more directional kicks, which will mean more kickoffs going out-of-bounds.

 

AQB, I think you might see more kickoffs aimed at the up men in hopes of a fumble and the assurance none of 'em will get past the 30 anyway.

 

Also of note to some is that the high school rules won't affect those in Texas, Florida, North Dakota, Wyoming or Rhode Island.

 

Really? Why is that?

 

The state athletic associations decide the rules in those states.

 

You are only 100 percent wrong... but that's OK... You've made a habit of it.

The states all agree to play by NFHS rules with the exception of two... one on your list (texas) and one not, which have chosen to play by NCAA rules.

A school that deviates from NFHS rules loses its seat on the rules committee and none of those states from your list (except Texas) have done so.