At any time when the NFL modifications guidelines, a possibility arises for potential unintended penalties. These unintended penalties can come up from a coach recognizing a method to pretty exploit any loopholes arising from the rule change.
For the revolutionary new configuration to the kickoff, there’s one very doubtlessly important loophole that may change into a big, and problematic, unintended consequence.
As handed by 29 house owners, the brand new kickoff configuration won’t change if there’s a penalty that carries over from the strive. The penalty will transfer solely the spot of the particular kick. Which, most often, shall be meaningless. The kick itself nonetheless have to be land between the objective line and the 20, and the motion received’t start till the kick is caught, or till the ball hits the bottom within the 20-yard touchdown zone.
So if the workforce that scores a landing opts for the standard one-point strive, what’s the draw back to sending gamers aggressively after the kicker, with a directive to go all out for the block and never fear about crashing into him? The penalty, whether or not 5 yards for working into the kicker or 15 for roughing the kicker, will imply nothing to the following kickoff.
Hopefully, groups received’t intentionally attempt to injure the kicker. That mentioned, it will doubtlessly be open season on hitting them throughout or after a kick, as a result of there shall be no worry of a big draw back. As soon as kickers notice it’s coming, they may get even skittish earlier than the kick — making a miss extra seemingly. And if, by means of the applying of a clear, authorized hit the kicker is unable to proceed in a given sport, the kicking workforce will doubtlessly have a tough time inserting the ball within the 20-yard touchdown zone with a backup kicker.
The counter could be that the offense can elect to re-do the strive, if the kick misses or if they like to go for 2 from the one. Additionally, it could possibly be simpler from the 50 to kick a line drive that hits the bottom (permitting the protection workforce to begin its pursuit) earlier than the return specialist will get the ball.
Nonetheless, there shall be coaches who research the brand new rule and determine to take away the restrictor plate from the boys charged with trying to dam the PAT. With no important consequence from slamming into the kicker whereas trying to dam the kick, some coaches will select to go all out, if solely to get the kicker pondering a little bit an excessive amount of earlier than the following PAT.
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