Belichick and the new KO rule

[EddieYost]

Isn't the ball dead on a punt when it hits anyway?

No. That's why when the receiving team decides not to catch it, they clear out. They don't want the ball to take a wild bounce and hit them. Then the kicking team could recover.

 

[AB in DC]

That Jim Mora face..

 

[DJnVa]

Per the NFL playing rules a ball is dead when it touches the ground in the endzone.

Section 4, Article 1,(a)--If the ball has not been touched by a player of the receiving team beyond the line of scrimmage, it is dead immediately, and the result of the play is a touchback when: (1) it touches the ground on or behind the receiver's goal line.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Of course Bill then goes and Kicks Off the old fashioned way yesterday, when the 'Fins have a quality kick returner

 

[edmunddantes]

Shocker, Bill is being strategic about the kickoff with the new rule... and even the Fins were strategic about it. Sometimes going deep, sometimes dropping it short.

I mean, who knew NFL coaches would take advantage of a rule that has some interesting incentives in it.

 

[tims4wins]

Somehow I didn't realize until today that touchbacks on punts still go back to the 20.

 

[InstaFace]

Somehow I didn't realize until today that

...it was Barzini all along.

 

[doc]

I would like to see a modification of the current rule. If the kick off goes out of the end zone in the air, the receiving team gets the ball on the 25. If the ball hits the ground and rolls out or the receiver takes a knee the ball goes to the 20.

 

[MainerInExile]

I would like to see a modification of the current rule. If the kick off goes out of the end zone in the air, the receiving team gets the ball on the 25. If the ball hits the ground and rolls out or the receiver takes a knee the ball goes to the 20.

The league should want it the opposite way if they want to encourage touchbacks, which it seems they do.