New Fair Catch Rule

[oldtimer 8,684]

NFL owners approve new fair catch rule on kickoffs for 2023

 

Charles Goldman

Tue, May 23, 2023 at 11:10 AM CDT

The spring league meetings continue to bring changes to the NFL for the upcoming season, with new rules impacting rosters and flexible scheduling being implemented in 2023.

The latest change from the competition committee centers around special teams and kickoffs, amidst increasing concern for player safety. The rule is specifically in regards to how the fair catch works on kickoffs, effectively increasing the likelihood of a touchback. On any free-kick (safety or kickoff), the returner may now signal a fair catch anywhere inside the 25-yard line and the ball would be placed at the 25-yard line on the ensuing play.

Here’s the full playing rule proposal via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler:

The big concern from NFL special teams coaches and players is that this move is one step closer to the league eliminating the kickoff altogether. The goal is still for kickers to boot the ball out of the endzone and force a touchback. Now that calls for a fair catch on short kicks can yield the same results as a touchback, it further disincentivizes kick returners from bringing the ball out.

This new rule is set to be adopted on a one-year trial basis in 2023. Should it prove to make kickoffs safer, the league will likely adopt it for the 2024 NFL season and beyond.

[oldtimer 8,684]

Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro punter Tommy Townsend has become the first member of the organization to speak out against the NFL’s latest special teams rule change.

On Tuesday, owners voted to approve a one-year trial run of a rule that effectively lessens the reward of return specialists attempting to return a kickoff on a short kick. Now, players who call for a fair catch within the 25-yard line will see the ball placed at the 25-yard line as if it were a touchback.

Townsend spoke out about the change on Twitter, reacting not just to the rule, but to the fact that the NFL voted in favor of the change despite clear opposition from coaches and players across the board.

“Not good for football for many reasons,” Townsend wrote. “But let’s pass something that players and coaches are so clearly against.”

[reesebobby 5,661]

It's getting old.  

[kkuenn 3,597]

Well at least now we won't see those 4 yard catches any more without at least knowing we will be at the 25. Infuriated me to see us take a catch at the 4 doing a fair catch instead of letting it bounce into the end zone.

[reesebobby 5,661]

Just now, kkuenn said:

Well at least now we won't see those 4 yard catches any more without at least knowing we will be at the 25. Infuriated me to see us take a catch at the 4 doing a fair catch instead of letting it bounce into the end zone.

This is just kickoffs, not punts.  I think.  

[arrowhead 1,070]

I don't think it happens to often.

No return man is gonna call for a fair catch at the fifteen yard line. He wants to take it to the house. Toub will bench anyone who does.🤪

[SEMO 6,811]

3 hours ago, arrowhead said:

I don't think it happens to often.

No return man is gonna call for a fair catch at the fifteen yard line. He wants to take it to the house. Toub will bench anyone who does.🤪

Yep.  The rule doesn’t force them to signal fair catch.  

[reesebobby 5,661]

3 hours ago, arrowhead said:

I don't think it happens to often.

No return man is gonna call for a fair catch at the fifteen yard line. He wants to take it to the house. Toub will bench anyone who does.🤪

I think it's designed to end those high kickoffs to the 5 yard line. 

[mex 65,581]

WHY DOES EVERYTHING ALWAYS HAVE TO BE FAIR?!?

🤬🤬🤬🤬

[jetlord 10,207]

19 hours ago, SEMO said:

Yep.  The rule doesn’t force them to signal fair catch.  

??? So if the receiver doesn't signal fair catch, can he be hit?  How is the kicking team to know if the receiver is going to take off at any moment?  Doesn't make sense.  Even in college I think the receiver signals fair catch if he's not in the end zone or going to run it back.  

[SEMO 6,811]

18 minutes ago, jetlord said:

??? So if the receiver doesn't signal fair catch, can he be hit?  How is the kicking team to know if the receiver is going to take off at any moment?  Doesn't make sense.  Even in college I think the receiver signals fair catch if he's not in the end zone or going to run it back.  

That is a lot of ifs.

The returner still has to signal fair catch.  No different than a punt.  No signal and he is fair game.

[kkuenn 3,597]

On 5/23/2023 at 3:07 PM, reesebobby said:

This is just kickoffs, not punts.  I think.  

Yes but we still did this shit on kickoffs. Running it out from the end zone etc. I think though they should mark it at the 20 and the rule be inside the 20. This seems a bit fairer for both teams. Back to the old school way. If some one fair catches it at the 15, then that is on them.

Going to see a lot more squib kicks and short kickoffs that go way high just to get a better chance for players to run up on it. I read last year there were 19 concussions on the kickoffs in the NFL. Only 1 of them involved the kick returner.