FWIW, from what I’ve seen teams tend to punt after a safety rather than actually kick off. The hang time really helps the coverage team, so you often see the other team end up at the 30 or 35 yard line, rather than enable a kickoff return.
There is a free kick after a safety (like a punt except the kicker just holds it instead of having it snapped to him) instead of doing a traditional kickoff
There were actually five safeties today, which feels like it should be a record (although it probably isn’t). The Chargers, Broncos, Lions, Bengals, and Dolphins all got a safety.
The free kick after a safety does not have to be a punt. Like any other free kick, it can also be a place kick or a drop kick. Of course, nobody does a drop kick anymore (and the ball isn’t designed for it) and the place kick is done without a tee so the kicker can’t get the same distance as he would on a kickoff.
Idea just came to me-the NFL of course moved the kickoff line up 5 yards a few years ago…what if instead they move it back to the 30-and let them punt it instead? Or did the NFL do that to reduce kickoff return injuries?
Cynically, I think they did it to encourage kickoff returns (and injuries be damned), and thus promote excitement and higher scores. Moving the kickoff line back five yards reduces touchbacks, which are boring and result in mediocre field position for the offense.
And a lot more distance to cover to do it. Sometimes allowing points is a smart move - and once in awhile, you’ll even see a defense allow a fast TD and give up the lead, just to save time for the offense to make it back at the end.
You’ll also sometimes see a player about to get tackled for a safety run out of bounds, or at least throw or kick the ball out of there, to make sure he only gives up two points, and doesn’t fumble and allow a touchdown instead.
Tell me about it- Michigan State did that against Notre Dame several years ago. The kick was fielded just outside the goal like and the receiver knelt down in the end zone. ND had two points with 15:00 left in the first quarter.
I should also mention that a ballcarrier wise to the tactic will sometimes deliberately stop short of scoring when they could easily do so, to use up time.
SBXLVI, Ahmad Bradshaw should have, but in hindsight the Giants won anyway.
He was going to, but the Patriots purposefully opened a hole for him and he wasn’t able to stop himself.
This happened on the opening kickoff of the Wisconsin-Western Illinois game this year as well. The kickoff returner for Western Illinois bobbled the kick reception just inside the end zone, broke the plane while establishing possession, then stepped back into the end zone and knelt down. Took some consulting by refs to confirm that indeed a safety had occurred. Because of the bobble then kneeldown, one or two seconds were ticked off the clock so it wasn’t 15:00 in the 1st qtr.
The best part is that no coaches called for the “stop short” tactic, and it was not mentioned in the huddle. The only time anyone said anything about it was when Eli was physically handing him the ball, he shouted “Don’t score!” By the time Bradshaw processed this impromptu command it was already too late.
You think they moved the kickoff up 5 yards in an attempt to encourage returns? That makes no sense at all.
No, they moved it back, from the 35 to the 30 yard line. The kicker now has farther to kick it.
No, they moved it up from the 30 to the 35, specifically as a safety measure. In fact, during this past offseason there was a proposal to move the kick up a further 5 yards to the 40, but this proposal was voted down.
Huh. Wow. Thanks for setting me straight. :smack: :o