Dienhart: Could kickoffs be eliminated from college football?

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BleedGopher

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per BTN:

There is nothing like the excitement of a kickoff. The anticipation, the buildup, the possibilities.

The players line up with a week’s worth of pent-up energy ready to explode and unfold their fury. One team bent on stopping the return man in his tracks. The other club determined to spring its return man for a touchdown. And it all happens at 100 mph—or so it seems—marked with often violent collisions. But, kickoffs may be an endangered species all in the name of trying to make football safer.

A few weeks ago, CBSSports.com had a report that detailed the idea of kickoffs getting the boot. The American Football Coaches Association’s board of trustees and the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee have talked about the possibility of removing kickoffs from the game.

Both groups continue to review injury data. And, this is no revelation:

“Preliminary indications are that injuries occur at a higher rate on kickoffs.” The story adds that no potential change would take place until after the 2017 season. “There is a move toward safety in football,” said BTN analyst Chuck Long. “Those are high collision plays. If they can eliminate them to make the game safer, it may happen.”

http://btn.com/2016/07/26/dienhart-could-kickoffs-be-eliminated-from-college-football/

Go Gophers!!
 

I hope not. Kickoffs can be such a game changing moment.
 

I don't know that they will ever remove the play because it seems like you have to have it in place to give a team the opportunity to attempt an onside kick and what not. I won't be surprised though if they continue moving the line to make it easier and easier for kickers to put them through the back of the endzone and force touchbacks most of the time.
 


You would have to still give teams the option of an onside kick - of course, it would eliminate any suspense. But, realistically, the vast majority of onside kicks are expected or anticipated. Eliminating the regular kickoff would apparently take away the option of the "surprise" onside kick.

And - it goes without saying - this will not impact the Gophers, because they have the worst onside kick attempts in the history of football....................
 


short ornery norwegian said:
You would have to still give teams the option of an onside kick - of course, it would eliminate any suspense. But, realistically, the vast majority of onside kicks are expected or anticipated. Eliminating the regular kickoff would apparently take away the option of the "surprise" onside kick.

And - it goes without saying - this will not impact the Gophers, because they have the worst onside kick attempts in the history of football....................
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Comically bad.

The fact we haven't really seen any statistics, similar to the CTE scare, is telling. The anti-football activists are chopping away at the game. Due to legal implications the NCAA and schools will have take a look at it if nothing else.

Kick offs can change the complexion of a game in a hurry. Eliminating or watering down the kickoff suspense would reduce the excitement. Then again, if guys are getting carried off on stretchers every other kick it should be looked at. Until we see data it's hard to really have proper perspective.
 

Just open a few more spots on each team for full time gunners who won't play in the regular plays and sacrifice them.
 

Is this about injuries or concussions or both?

Has somebody done a study of this? What does it say?

I have an idea for possibly lowering concussions. It's called grass fields. Seriously, the game is a step or two faster than it used to be. Slow it down. It might help (of course, it might not).
 

Studwell55 said:
Is this about injuries or concussions or both?

Has somebody done a study of this? What does it say?

I have an idea for possibly lowering concussions. It's called grass fields. Seriously, the game is a step or two faster than it used to be. Slow it down. It might help (of course, it might not).
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I've spent time looking a dozen times. There's no completed study on just kickoffs, no reliable data yet.
 



Yeah, I think some coaches and the NCAA are like "If it's causing a lot of injuries that we can prevent, then we should stop it, but I need proof first," but its kinda of a catch 22 because to get the data, they need to play games without kickoffs, but to get people to play without kickoffs you need to give them data saying it can prevent injuries. So we'll see where this goes.
 

Studwell55 said:
Is this about injuries or concussions or both?

Has somebody done a study of this? What does it say?

I have an idea for possibly lowering concussions. It's called grass fields. Seriously, the game is a step or two faster than it used to be. Slow it down. It might help (of course, it might not).
Click to expand...

Play in a giant bouncy house.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Just open a few more spots on each team for full time gunners who won't play in the regular plays and sacrifice them.
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As a walk on that earned minimal playing time during my career, I can say without a doubt that I would have volunteered to be a gunner on kickoffs. Hell if given the opportunity I do it one more time today but that's about all I have left in me.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I've spent time looking a dozen times. There's no completed study on just kickoffs, no reliable data yet.
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Ivy League is pilot program for the data collection.

13.6% of all injuries are on Special Teams. 7-8% of all injuries are concussion related. Vast majority are (no surprise) lower extremities.

Can't see it being eliminated entirely (IMO).
 



Pompous Elitist said:
Comically bad.

The fact we haven't really seen any statistics, similar to the CTE scare, is telling. The anti-football activists are chopping away at the game. Due to legal implications the NCAA and schools will have take a look at it if nothing else.

Kick offs can change the complexion of a game in a hurry. Eliminating or watering down the kickoff suspense would reduce the excitement. Then again, if guys are getting carried off on stretchers every other kick it should be looked at. Until we see data it's hard to really have proper perspective.
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Oh yes, it has to be those anti-football clowns. You know, the ones that fly around in the silent black helicopters.

Fighting in hockey use to change the complexion of a game in a hurry. That was until the anti-hockey activists rolled up in their tanks and put a stop to it.

Just because something is a historical part of the game doesn't mean it can't be changed. Football has never been the same since they made them stop wearing leather helmets. And you know that gall darn forward pass has destroyed the game.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

alchemy2u said:
Oh yes, it has to be those anti-football clowns. You know, the ones that fly around in the silent black helicopters.

Fighting in hockey use to change the complexion of a game in a hurry. That was until the anti-hockey activists rolled up in their tanks and put a stop to it.

Just because something is a historical part of the game doesn't mean it can't be changed. Football has never been the same since they made them stop wearing leather helmets. And you know that gall darn forward pass has destroyed the game.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I think you're projecting all the other arguments we've had into this. If it can be shown it is significantly more dangerous then it should be considered. I suppose we could also eliminate passes over the middle, between the hashes as those are most likely more dangerous. Or we could ban players over 230 pounds, or mandate speed-walking as maximum speed.

How about we wait into the actual data comes out before we fly off the handle. I know that's not in vogue with your type, but let's try to have open minds.
 

Buck_Buchanan said:
Ivy League is pilot program for the data collection.

13.6% of all injuries are on Special Teams. 7-8% of all injuries are concussion related. Vast majority are (no surprise) lower extremities.

Can't see it being eliminated entirely (IMO).
Click to expand...

There could certainly do 1) a retrospective study of the type of play players were injured (assuming that there are good records of injuries and when the injuries occurred). It looks like some work has been done, as stated above, 13% of injuries on special teams. But all special teams plays are not kickoffs, and what % of plays are kickoffs would also be important to know. If 13% of all plays are special teams plays, it would appear that that type of play is no more dangerous than a play from scrimmage. However the seriousness and type of the injuries should also be considered. 2) the second step would be a prospective study, ie., eliminate kickoffs and see if injuries decline. I watched a CFL game recently and it seems that they have eliminated some kickoffs. I don't know if I would miss the kickoff as a fan, but I loved covering kickoffs in high school (mid-70's).
 

Tim Riggins said:
As a walk on that earned minimal playing time during my career, I can say without a doubt that I would have volunteered to be a gunner on kickoffs. Hell if given the opportunity I do it one more time today but that's about all I have left in me.
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Heck I'd do it now.... I'd be of no help, I'd likely get seriously injured on the first play, but hell I got out there!
 

denguegopher said:
There could certainly do 1) a retrospective study of the type of play players were injured (assuming that there are good records of injuries and when the injuries occurred). It looks like some work has been done, as stated above, 13% of injuries on special teams. But all special teams plays are not kickoffs, and what % of plays are kickoffs would also be important to know. If 13% of all plays are special teams plays, it would appear that that type of play is no more dangerous than a play from scrimmage. However the seriousness and type of the injuries should also be considered. 2) the second step would be a prospective study, ie., eliminate kickoffs and see if injuries decline. I watched a CFL game recently and it seems that they have eliminated some kickoffs. I don't know if I would miss the kickoff as a fan, but I loved covering kickoffs in high school (mid-70's).
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One would have to screen out punter "flops". Is there an award for best acting amongst the punter community?
 

Pompous Elitist said:
One would have to screen out punter "flops". Is there an award for best acting amongst the punter community?
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Wasn't there a punter somewhere that flopped, got a penalty called, and immediately got up and went to the sideline like nothing happened? I believe the ref just picked up his flag at that point.
 

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