NFL 2011 Rule Changes: Why Kickoff Returns Are Dead

March 23, 2011   ·   Alexander M. Smith   ·   Jump to comments

The art of the kickoff return is dead. During the next NFL season, when an announcer yells, "Goodbye!" on a kickoff, it will mean the ball is sailing out of the end zone, not that Devin Hester or Brad Smith is taking a return to the house for six game-changing points.
The reason for this is a simple rule change intended to promote player safety: Kickoffs will now be taken from the 35-yard line instead of the 30. Doesn't seem like much? Look at it this way: Just about every NFL kicker can nail a kickoff 70 yards (the old requirement to reach the end zone line), but only a select few can consistently kick it 75 or 80 yards.
This means that in the past, the kickers who could barely reach the end zone were taught to put more hang time on their kicks and place them in the corners, thus reducing the distance of their kicks. Now, those same guys will be able to put their kicks five yards deep with average or worse hang time. What return man is going to take the ball from five yards ...

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