With the new kicking rules...

[Xenomorph]

Had you rather your kicker put it in the end zone for a touchback on the 25 or kick it high and have it fielded around the 5? Remember, tacklers are running from the 35 instead of the 30, but they can only have a 5 yard running start instead of 10.<div>
</div><div>I still lean toward kicking as deep as possible.</div>

 

[ckDOG]

Nm

 

[8dog]

seems like we've kicked a lot of them near the 5 last few years and rarely hold below the 25. I think this rule helps us tremendously.

 

[JackShephard]

As Chad Jones showed us, a perfect kick can be/has been.

 

[Xenomorph]

*

 

[Johnson85]

If the other teams offense is mediocre or worse, or if their returner is particularly dangerous, take the touchback.

But in other situations, with good kickoff coverage, I'd prefer to go for pinning them down. Strictly looking at the odds of the other team scoring, pinning them an extra 5 to 10 yards back probably doesn't make that much of a difference, but I think it fires up the team and especially the D to follow up a score with some hard hits and pinning them down.

 

[kimmer]

Fewer injuries. No chance for a TD or a field flipping return. No chance for a late hit or a PF penalty. You aren't going to stop most returns inside the 20 anyway so what's five yards?

One thing is for sure. Much fewer balls that go into the endzone will be brought out now.

 

[ckDOG]

nm

 

[Seinfeld]

is just not worth the risk. Plus, even return touchdowns aside, I'd bet that they'd get it out to the 30 against us just as many times as we stopped them at the 20. All in all, the risk just isn't worth the few yards.

 

[DFWdawg.sixpack]

Can you punt on a normal kickoff like you can after a safety? <div>
</div><div>If you figure that Swedenburg is averaging over 40 yards a punt from > 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage would mean that he would be putting his punts over 50 yards of in air travel distance. With the extra hang time of the a kickoff and players coming from 5 yards closer, a good punt would almost force a fair catch by the returning team. Over 50 yards and a fair catch would equate to pinning the other team within the 25 yard line and give you better results. And yes, five to ten yards is a big difference when you think of it in terms of having to earn one more first down on every drive. </div>

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

..if the team you are playing has sure-handed speedsters returning the ball, you kick to the endzone.


But if you are playing, for example, Ole Miss, you kick just short of the endzone & dare the return men to make something happen.

 

[Hump4Hoops]

That while a kickoff return could be a touchdown, it's even more likely to be a fumble.