It’s time to “fix the kick” in the NFL.
With the Chief’s Harrison Butker’s 69-yard field goal in the pre-season, it was demonstrated yet again that today’s kickers are better than ever. Year after year they kick it higher, further, and straighter. Usually, the placekicker is the leading scorer on the team, but nobody cares because the kicking game has become boring and predictable. The NFL failed to make it more interesting when they moved back extra points and changed kickoffs. Here are four ways to boot it up a big notch:
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1. Put a crossbar on the top of the field goal posts
Make it a rectangle that challenges the placekicker to “place” it in the uprights, without kicking it too high, where the referee has to make a judgment call about whether the kick was between the posts.
This will make every kick more interesting. 38-yard kicks are too routine. Extra points are so boring it’s time to go get a snack.
All NFL level kickers can hit 70–80-yard field goals in practice. More and more coaches are taking chances that their guy can hit it from more than 50 yards out.
The primary difference between high school, college, and pro kicking is distance with trajectory. Lining up approximately 7.5 yards behind the line of scrimmage, the defense surges so they are usually about 5 yards from the kick coming off the ground. The pros need to get the ball at least 11 feet in the air to avoid it being blocked. It’s hard to do, but they all do it with relative ease.
Time to make it more difficult. Let’s change the “field goal” to an actual goal.
Similar to golf, kickers use their 9-iron on all kicks. They are only challenged to hit it long and straight. Kicking it into the target is much different, more challenging, and will be more exciting to watch.
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2. Eliminate the opening coin toss and starting kickoff
Who’s ready to watch the NFL’s fastest players race each other to start the game? Let’s line up one player from each team on the same goal line. When the referee blows the whistle, the two players sprint to the game ball on the 50-yard line. Whoever recovers the ball gets possession for his team, starting at their own 20-yard line. Should neither team recover the ball in bounds, the home team will take possession at the 50-yard line.
3. Eliminate the traditional kickoff after a team scores
The scoring team will have the ball at their own 35-yard line. They have one play to advance 20 yards and retain possession. If not, the defending team takes possession. Essentially, this replaces the on-side kick.
Most teams will opt to punt. The average NFL punt is 46.7 yards. Usually the ball will sail through the air and land roughly at the 20-yard line. Just like other live punts, the receiving team can block the kick, call for a fair catch or return it. Suddenly, there is a whole bunch of strategy at play. Because the teams line up on the line of scrimmage, the safety concerns of previous kickoffs aren’t a concern, but live punts are a lot more exciting than the current kickoff system.
4. No more sudden death overtime
A strong kicker on the team that gets first possession in overtime isn’t good for the game. Instead, use the same rules as the college football playoffs and most high schools. Each team gets a possession. No coin toss. The home team gets to make the decision about what to do on the first possession and, if tied, then they alternate. This continues in perpetuity until there is a winner.
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With these four changes, games will become far less predictable, far more fun to watch, and will force teams to use more strategy, skill and speed.
The NFL should try all three pre-season games next year to see how it goes.
And while they are at it, here are two more suggestions: start using the bigger, softer, safer helmets and please stop the long halftime lip-syncing concerts. We just want to watch some football, starting with a sprint to midfield to fight for possession of the ball.
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Jason Chaffetz was a placekicker at BYU and a former Member of Congress. He is now a Fox News Contributor and host of the Jason in the House podcast.
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