Nearly half of the 459 concussions (44 per cent) were on passes, while 30 per cent were on running plays, 21 per cent on punt or kickoff returns, four per cent on sacks and one per cent on field-goal attemptshttps://www.thestar.com/sports/football/2017/11/09/most-reported-concussions-occur-on-pass-plays-nfl-review-shows.html They can't prevent high speed head to ground contact on passing plays with rule changes. It's not going to be solved through rule changes.
Kick off returns used to be exciting and unpredictable, now the NFL changed it to mean nothing. really upsets me. They might as well scrap it at this point and make it so teams just always start on the 25. the only reason they don't is so they don't kill onside kicks which are needed in the NFL but now it's nothing more then a formality. kick the ball, catch it, take a knee, play ends. It's ironic since they changed the extra point because it was pretty much a formality which took away the ability to do a fake FG for 2 points.
The passes doens't surprise me. it would seem most happen to a defenseless receiver and a DB trying to tee off on him.
You can directly trace the death of KR's to them moving the ball to the 35 for KO's. All you get is touchbacks mostly now.
You're clearly right that rule changes can't address everything without completely changing the game, but those numbers support that kickoff returns are much more dangerous. There are far more passing and running plays in a game than kickoff returns (presumably there aren't many concussions on touchbacks). On average a game has 70 passing plays (50% of all plays other than touchbacks), 50 running plays (35%), 10 punts (7%), 5 sacks (4%), and 4 kickoff returns (3%). Thus, the share of concussions is lower than the proportion of plays would suggest for passing and running plays, about what would be expected for sacks, and much greater than expected for kickoff and punt returns (about 2.5 times the risk for passing or running plays). Unfortunately the article doesn't break down punt returns from kickoff returns, but everyone seems to agree that kickoff returns are much more dangerous, and I'll bet if you break it down that is where the statement that the risk of concussions on kickoff returns in 5 times that of other plays comes from. Let me also repeat that a typical game has 4 or 5 kickoff returns - that's it. Trying to make safer a very dangerous play that rarely happens seems like a very good idea to me.
How dare they try to ruin our fun by seeking to protect players? Don't they know that football players only exist for our entertainment? I don't think it's too much to ask that they sacrifice life and limb in order to give us thrills, an adrenaline rush, and enhance our viewing pleasure. It's not my father, brother, or friends out there, so what do I care? At least that's what some of our posters seem to think.
I agree. Kickoffs are one of the most exciting parts of the game, and I hate that they need to change the rules, but I totally understand why they are, applaud their efforts to make the game safer, and ultimately agree with what they are doing.
The game should be returned to all it's glory. Crushing men on kickoffs. Crushing wide receivers who dare go over the middle. Crushing QBs that take a second too long. Yes, I know. Some players will spend their golden years drooling into a paper cup. Sorry! Boxing is brutal with head shot after head shot, and still we have boxing. MMA is worse, and still we have MMA. If boxing were football gloves would be replaced with pillows and there would be "No striking an opposing fighter the face, head, neck, liver, or spleen".
It actually might* make it better for fans, though I'm sure that was not the intention. The new rules here make the kickoffs more like a punt with everyone bunched up, a big gap between blockers, no running starts, and no wedge blocking. An unintended consequence is that kickoff teams are going to try and trap returners in the corner like they do with punts, especially since the touchback is still at the 25. So we will see more returns I think and more returns for touchdowns. --- *I emphasize the might in "might make it better for fans" because we're definitely going to see a crapload of stupid penalties. It has the potential to be infuriating as you watch an exciting return for a touchdown only to see yet another yellow flag on the ground during a kickoff!!!! "engaging the coverage team within the illegal 15 yard window, 5 yard penalty, redo the kick" now lets watch 75 replays on CBS to see if he did indeed block him within an inch of the line, can we get our rules expert to mindnumbingly say the same thing over and over???? so you see it has its pros and cons lol
They are getting paid plenty to take risks and nobody is forcing them to play football. If they want to do something safe, go do something safe. Maybe I'm biased. I spent 11 years jumping out of aircraft in bad places with a big damn gun--it wasn't safe, but I chose to do it, and nobody was paying me what the lowest paid NFL nobody is getting. If you want to protect kids, even college players, I can respect that. I can see the argument that the NFL sets the expectations for these levels, and if they make kickoffs safer, then other levels will follow--if that's the goal, then I'm okay with that. These are grown ass men being paid to play a game. If they want to retire and get away because of the risk ala Chris Borland, I respect that, too. The men on the field do not "only exist for our entertainment", but they are only "football players" for our entertainment and the paycheck that affords them. I feel the same way about the idea of paying college atheletes--if you want a paycheck, the Marine Corps is hiring. If you want to play a game and try to make a gagillion bucks down the road, try to appreciate the fact that you won't be paying off crippling student loan debt for the next 15 years like most of the other kids in your school.
What is the point of even having a kickoff now? They might as well just bite the bullet and get rid of them already, instead of watering them down each year to the point of irrelevance. This is why the NFL is a joke these days. 99% of these new rules will not change anything about the frequency of injuries and will not affect safety in the least.
We all know that ratings and $$$$ come before safety. Safety is only considered when they need an excuse to increase the offense. Otherwise it's meaningless.