Proposed Rule Changes

He’s our POTUS like it or not

 

Ken Burrough was the Oiler who wore 00. There was a Steeler back in the 40's who wore 00, Johnny Clement a RB.

 

You kiddies don’t know much about history

 

Speaking of crazy rule changes. There is talk if the NFL goes to an 18-game season, they could limit the number of games players are allowed to play. I know last year they had a couple players play 18 regular season games after being traded.



I still have never figured out why the NFL did away with the second bye week. Seems like this extra bye week just created an extra week of watching football to me.

 

Before my time. I'm sure Jeh remembers him.

 

I am writing to share my perspective on the recent changes to NFL kickoff and punt return rules. It appears the league is prioritizing the mitigation of potential CTE risks over fan enjoyment by encouraging fair catches and touchbacks.

While player safety is important, it is also true that football is a contact sport that individuals choose to play willingly. Players get paid handsomely. Furthermore, given that the average NFL career lasts approximately four years—particularly for those on return teams—the frequency of CTE is not that great here.

It mainly found with the 7+ years vets.

- JB

 

Also its ridiculous because coaching and gm regimes would have no problem trading picks that far in the future because the regimes typically dont last that long. It would allow teams who were already good to stockpile future picks and destroy the parity in the league.

 

I don't know where you are getting your info but touchbacks are half of what they were five years ago. (don't believe everything you read on AI)

 

Well I say football is not a contact sport, rather a collision sport.

Move the kickoff line back 5 yards so the offense will get a better chance on returns, and bring excitement back to the kickoffs. Because it will.

 

The rule change already increased returns. In 2025 almost 75% of kickoffs were returned compred to 32% in 2024. The reason for this is because the touchback is placed at the 35 yard line, teams have the incentive to kick it short of the endzone,there is no need to back the kickoff up 5 yards.

 

I like the current kick off rules. I think the NFL has done a nice job.

 

Gotta love incorporating politics into a sports forum! Frosting on the cake!

 

Joel, I'd love a citation for your comment that CTE is mainly found in 7+ year NFL vets. It feels very made up.

This study looks at the "hazard ratio" (chances of getting CTE vs. some baseline) of getting CTE when in college and the pros. They compared the rate of CTE found in dead players (because you can only diagnose when someone is dead) in HS, NCAA, and NFL. They use the HS rate as the baseline (which is likely higher than a control group of non-impact sport players). They found essentially the same for NCAA (2.38x HS players) and NFL players (2.47x HS players)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9989358/

I'm not a medical researcher (I'm an engineer). But to get an idea of how big hazard ratios are, I think it's usually a good thing to compare to smoking (which everyone basically agrees is among the most dangerous things you can do). My understanding is that the hazard ratio for smokers to get cancer is about 3x the non-smoking population. So playing college football isn't quite as bad, but it's getting close.

Note that if they used NCAA players as the baseline for NFL players, the hazard ratio is small enough that it probably doesn't mean anything (1.03x).

Note that it's also very difficult to determine who has CTE because (1) the player needs to be dead because (2) you need to cut open and examine the brain. So they can't do a big trial looking at all the players in HS, college, and the NFL to see.

Another study found that basically every NFL player they looked at had CTE (345 / 376).
https://www.bumc.bu.edu/camed/2023/...cte-in-345-of-376-former-nfl-players-studied/

ETA: Here's another paper I found from the New England Journal of Medicine. Talks about CTE in Vets, but also has info on people who played contact sports.

They found that ~ 4.4% had CTE. The same study found CTE in ~ 17% of people who played contact sports and 0% of people who didn't.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2203199

Re: Kickoffs I also don't know if you remember what life was like before the "new" rules, but it was basically a touch back every time. The newest rules are actually an attempt to try to incentivize returns.

 

I think there's little chance the NFL includes QBs in this if they do it.

I could see them going more by snap count so teams could still start their QBs every game. Then go to the backup more later in games for load management.

 

And Morris Stroud a 6'10" tight end replaced him.

 

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Research suggests that players in certain positions are more likely to display these symptoms, which typically manifest more frequently in older veterans compared to players in their first four years as I said.

Additionally, historical data shows that kickoffs were returned much more frequently in the 1970s than they are today.


Teams have averaged more yards and more touchdowns since kickoffs were moved to the 30-yard line in 1994. I am for the offense.

You can find more statistical context on this here:

https://www.espn.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/17417/historical-statistical-look-at-kickoffs


Now unless the article was " made up " take it at face value.


- JB

 

Historical NFL Touchback Trends

• 2025 (Dynamic Kickoff v2): Early data shows a return rate over
  75
  %
  (roughly
  ≈25
  %
  or fewer touchbacks) due to the ball being placed at the 35-yard line for a touchback, encouraging returns.
• 2024 (Dynamic Kickoff v1): 32.8% touchback rate. The league introduced the "dynamic" rule, placing the ball at the 30-yard line, which increased returns from the 2023 record low.
• 2023: 21.8% return rate (record low), meaning ~78.2% touchback rate.
• 2011–2022: A consistent upward trend following the 2011 move of the kickoff spot to the 35-yard line, frequently resulting in 50\%" data-processed="true" style="display: inline;">
  >50
  %
  touchback rates league-wide.
• 2010: 16.4% touchback rate (80% return rate), immediately before the rule change.

Key Rule Changes Affecting Percentages

• 2025: Touchback spot moved to the 35-yard line; return rates jumped to over 75%.
• 2024: "Dynamic Kickoff" introduced; touchback spot moved to the 30-yard line.
• 2011: Kickoff moved from 30-yard line to 35-yard line.
• 1994: Kickoff moved to 30-yard line

Man --I was just thinking about how much I prefer the old-school 1994 kickoff rules. I miss seeing more big plays, fewer touchbacks, and more of those big hits.

 

So you are worried about CTE but you want the old rules for kickoffs to return?!

 

So, according to your post the current return rates are within 5% of the old kickoff return rates while being less dangerous. What is the problem?

 

Joel, do you see how in my response to you I actually linked to research that says the opposite? That's what I meant when I asked for a citation.

Again, from the links to the research in my other response. CTE was found in almost all brains they looked at from deceased football players. And the hazard ratio is basically the same for NCAA football players as for NFL players.

Even if what you are saying re: symptoms is correct (and my guess is that you don't have a source for that), onset of symptoms isn't the same thing has having the issue.

 

He's not worried about CTE.

He thinks that it doesn't affect special teams.

Because he thinks those players aren't in the NFL long enough to get it.

 

CTE's / Concussions is a problem most commonly found in older NFL players. The kick return guys are young.

 

By moving the ball up players get less of a chace to break a long play. The NFL has incnetifeced tougch backs , and teams are fine with that

Key Rule Changes Over the Years

• 2024–2025 (The "Dynamic" Era): The new rule, inspired by the XFL, bans fair catches and forces most kicks to be returned. 2025 updates made this permanent, moved touchbacks to the 35-yard line, and increased return rates to over 74%.
• 2023: A one-year rule allowed returners to call for a fair catch anywhere inside their own 25-yard line, resulting in a touchback, which caused a record-low 22% return rate.
• 2011–2016 (Safety and Touchbacks): The league moved the kickoff from the 30-yard line back to the 35 to encourage touchbacks. In 2016, touchbacks were moved from the 20 to the 25-yard line to further reduce returns and concussions.
• 2009–2010 (Wedge Block Ban): The NFL banned the "wedge block"—two or more players from the returning team setting up side-by-side to block—to reduce high-speed injuries.
• 1994: To increase returns, the league moved the kickoff from the 35 to the 30-yard line.
• 1974: Kickoffs were moved from the 40 to the 35-yard line.

Key Changes in 2025 Update

• Touchback Spot: Moved to the 35-yard line (from the 30 in 2024).
• Onside Kicks: Teams can now attempt an onside kick at any point in the game if they are trailing, not just in the 4th quarter.
• Alignment: Minor tweaks to how the receiving team sets up in the "setup zone".

Get it now? Probably not.

• 
  

There are less big retruns with the " New rules " That is what I am against.

 

Is this you?

 

That is funny coming for a guy named Bubba. That moive was dull and slow moving by the way.