The NFL is altering the kickoff as we all know it, and shock onside kicks at the moment are banned. Regular onside kicks are virtually unimaginable to get better resulting from quite a few rule adjustments, such that there have been makes an attempt to invent a substitute for the onside kick in an effort to realize consecutive possessions.
One such (repeatedly shot down) concept is the 4th-and-long conversion. Right here’s the Philadelphia Eagles’ failed proposal:
The Eagles’ proposal to permit groups to line up their offense on the sector on fourth-and-20, as a substitute of kicking off, was rejected at present in a vote on the league assembly.
Beneath the Eagles’ proposal, groups that scored a landing or area objective might have adopted it by taking the ball at their very own 20-yard line, going through a fourth-and-20. If the scoring staff transformed the fourth-and-20, it might hold the ball and go from there.
NFL guidelines have made onside kicks virtually unimaginable to get better, and the kickoff itself has undergone main adjustments, and so an onside kick different has turn into a standard matter for rule proposals each offseason. However each time this explicit proposal for an onside kick different comes up, it goes nowhere.
I’m undecided what would occur in case of a defensive penalty on this situation when all post-snap defensive penalties are automated first downs, however the idea appears intriguing sufficient. A 4th-and-20 conversion price is already low, but additionally it’s greater than an onside kick.
I randomly had a half-baked concept earlier within the week spurred on by the adjustments to the kickoff. If a staff is trailing within the 4th quarter by a minimum of 9 factors and scores a landing, they will select to go for 2 factors from the 15-yard line. A conversion means the trailing staff will get the ball again at their very own 25 (or I suppose the 30 below the brand new touchback guidelines). Failure means they must kickoff usually or attempt an onside kick. The issue is that is solely an possibility in case you rating a landing and never in case you, say, kick a area objective down by 9 to make it a 6-point sport late. It will, in idea, be a larger incentive to try to rating a landing as a substitute of kick a area objective for that motive. I don’t suppose my idea is completely outrageous, though I did say it was a half-baked concept.
There’s most likely no good resolution however the sport is at all times evolving, and it looks like the onside kick has outlived its usefulness excess of the precise kickoff.
What kind of different (if any) would you wish to see substitute the onside kick? Tell us within the feedback!
