RIP? NFL Onside Kick

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silverscreenselect
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RIP? NFL Onside Kick

#1 Post by silverscreenselect » Fri May 22, 2020 8:34 am

The NFL owners are expected to approve a change to the onside kick rule next season that would eliminate the kick. In its place, a team would be permitted the option after scoring to attempt a fourth-and-fifteen play from its own 25 yard line. If they convert, they keep the ball; otherwise, the other team takes over. Defensive penalties that result in automatic first downs would still be enforced in the same manner. Offensive penalties would also be enforced and the team would be permitted another try after the penalty yardage was marked off. However, the team could not then elect to kick off in the standard manner. Teams could attempt this new "onside kick" twice per game, in any quarter.

Since the kickoff alignment rules were changed in recent years, traditional onside kicks were very difficult to convert. On the other hand, over the last five years, teams converted fourth and 15 plays approximately 24% of the time. This rule change would eliminate "surprise" onside kicks like the one the Saints used at the start of the second half of their Super Bowl win.
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Re: RIP? NFL Onside Kick

#2 Post by SpacemanSpiff » Fri May 22, 2020 5:00 pm

I'd like to see the "surprise" onside kick remain as part of the normal kickoff process; I know it's a long shot given the way the NFL has it set up, but a surprise version might have a better chance. (This is in addition to the proposed new 4th and 15 rule.)
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Re: RIP? NFL Onside Kick

#3 Post by Bob78164 » Fri May 22, 2020 6:08 pm

silverscreenselect wrote:
Fri May 22, 2020 8:34 am
The NFL owners are expected to approve a change to the onside kick rule next season that would eliminate the kick. In its place, a team would be permitted the option after scoring to attempt a fourth-and-fifteen play from its own 25 yard line. If they convert, they keep the ball; otherwise, the other team takes over. Defensive penalties that result in automatic first downs would still be enforced in the same manner. Offensive penalties would also be enforced and the team would be permitted another try after the penalty yardage was marked off. However, the team could not then elect to kick off in the standard manner. Teams could attempt this new "onside kick" twice per game, in any quarter.

Since the kickoff alignment rules were changed in recent years, traditional onside kicks were very difficult to convert. On the other hand, over the last five years, teams converted fourth and 15 plays approximately 24% of the time. This rule change would eliminate "surprise" onside kicks like the one the Saints used at the start of the second half of their Super Bowl win.
Is there anything in the proposed new rule that would prevent a team from trying a traditional on-side kick? Some obligation to allow the ball to travel more than 10 yards before the kicking team may touch it? --Bob
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Re: RIP? NFL Onside Kick

#4 Post by silverscreenselect » Fri May 22, 2020 6:13 pm

Bob78164 wrote:
Fri May 22, 2020 6:08 pm
silverscreenselect wrote:
Fri May 22, 2020 8:34 am
The NFL owners are expected to approve a change to the onside kick rule next season that would eliminate the kick. In its place, a team would be permitted the option after scoring to attempt a fourth-and-fifteen play from its own 25 yard line. If they convert, they keep the ball; otherwise, the other team takes over. Defensive penalties that result in automatic first downs would still be enforced in the same manner. Offensive penalties would also be enforced and the team would be permitted another try after the penalty yardage was marked off. However, the team could not then elect to kick off in the standard manner. Teams could attempt this new "onside kick" twice per game, in any quarter.

Since the kickoff alignment rules were changed in recent years, traditional onside kicks were very difficult to convert. On the other hand, over the last five years, teams converted fourth and 15 plays approximately 24% of the time. This rule change would eliminate "surprise" onside kicks like the one the Saints used at the start of the second half of their Super Bowl win.
Is there anything in the proposed new rule that would prevent a team from trying a traditional on-side kick? Some obligation to allow the ball to travel more than 10 yards before the kicking team may touch it? --Bob
Regular onside kicks would still be permitted under the proposed rule.
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Re: RIP? NFL Onside Kick

#5 Post by thguy65 » Sat May 23, 2020 1:40 pm

silverscreenselect wrote:
Fri May 22, 2020 6:13 pm
Bob78164 wrote:
Fri May 22, 2020 6:08 pm
silverscreenselect wrote:
Fri May 22, 2020 8:34 am
The NFL owners are expected to approve a change to the onside kick rule next season that would eliminate the kick. In its place, a team would be permitted the option after scoring to attempt a fourth-and-fifteen play from its own 25 yard line. If they convert, they keep the ball; otherwise, the other team takes over. Defensive penalties that result in automatic first downs would still be enforced in the same manner. Offensive penalties would also be enforced and the team would be permitted another try after the penalty yardage was marked off. However, the team could not then elect to kick off in the standard manner. Teams could attempt this new "onside kick" twice per game, in any quarter.

Since the kickoff alignment rules were changed in recent years, traditional onside kicks were very difficult to convert. On the other hand, over the last five years, teams converted fourth and 15 plays approximately 24% of the time. This rule change would eliminate "surprise" onside kicks like the one the Saints used at the start of the second half of their Super Bowl win.
Is there anything in the proposed new rule that would prevent a team from trying a traditional on-side kick? Some obligation to allow the ball to travel more than 10 yards before the kicking team may touch it? --Bob
Regular onside kicks would still be permitted under the proposed rule.
So if regular onside kicks aren't prohibited, then there doesn't seem to be any elimination of "surprise" onside kicks.
One other detail that I saw mentioned in the proposed rule is that the 4th-and-15 option is available only if the kicking team is trailing. This would eliminate a team that just scored to go take a 3+ point lead with a few seconds left from running another offensive play to take an intentional safety and running out the clock.

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Re: RIP? NFL Onside Kick

#6 Post by silverscreenselect » Thu May 28, 2020 1:42 pm

My report of the onside kick demise was premature. The NFL has tabled the proposal again.

Interesting statistic in this article. Teams that attempted expected onside kicks in games were 0-104 over the last two seasons.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/292 ... aight-year
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