I just found out that our organization is going to propose getting rid of kickoffs/returns.  The league meeting is tomorrow night.  I am incredulous and on the verge of an anxiety attack.  Are they kidding me?  Too many injuries and not enough time to coach them during the week.  This is just unreal to me.  I believe it's an important part of the game.  If we keep making new rules, eventually we'll end up with two nets and a round ball.  I'm just livid right now.

It wont be around much longer at any level.  The only reason it still goes on in the NFL is because of the players union.  If they eliminate it, many players will lose their jobs.  If i had to bet, it will be gone w/ in the next 2 CBA's.  At which point everyone else will follow suit.

We still have it at the 7th and 8th grade level here.  But not in the 6th grade or down. They start at the 40. And punts are no rush. You declare you are punting and they cannot rush, same with xtra points. Hope they don't get rid of it all together.

I just found out that our organization is going to propose getting rid of kickoffs/returns.  The league meeting is tomorrow night.  I am incredulous and on the verge of an anxiety attack.  Are they kidding me?  Too many injuries and not enough time to coach them during the week.  This is just unreal to me.  I believe it's an important part of the game.  If we keep making new rules, eventually we'll end up with two nets and a round ball.  I'm just livid right now.

This isn't the trend you think.  Our freshman football over 40 yrs. ago was without kickoffs.

How much preseason & in-season practice time do your 14Us get?  I might easily agree on doing away with kickoffs if time was short enough.

I just found out that our organization is going to propose getting rid of kickoffs/returns.  The league meeting is tomorrow night.  I am incredulous and on the verge of an anxiety attack.  Are they kidding me?  Too many injuries and not enough time to coach them during the week.  This is just unreal to me.  I believe it's an important part of the game.  If we keep making new rules, eventually we'll end up with two nets and a round ball.  I'm just livid right now.

J

I think you are looking at the future of the game right there. The only KO / KOR will be for on side kicking purposes.

I just found out that our organization is going to propose getting rid of kickoffs/returns.  The league meeting is tomorrow night.  I am incredulous and on the verge of an anxiety attack.  Are they kidding me?  Too many injuries and not enough time to coach them during the week.  This is just unreal to me.  I believe it's an important part of the game.  If we keep making new rules, eventually we'll end up with two nets and a round ball.  I'm just livid right now.

ASk them for an alternative..............
Make kicking out of bounds Legal....
Ball is spotted where it goes out.

Just a suggestion

Too many injuries

Do they have any actual evidence that there are more injuries during kick-offs than in any other part of the game?

Maybe they should outlaw sacks, too.

Do they have any actual evidence that there are more injuries during kick-offs than in any other part of the game?

Maybe they should outlaw sacks, too.

Of course they don't.  I'll agree there seems to be a lack of proper coaching, but it has nothing to do with there not being enough time during the week.  Laziness is my guess.

I'll agree there seems to be a lack of proper coaching

Yeah, but by that standard, they should probably eliminate everything.

What I hate the most about the kickoff thing is that is the absolute favorite thing for the kids to do.

What I hate the most about the kickoff thing is that is the absolute favorite thing for the kids to do.

Then maybe they should do the opposite: Wherever the ball is dead, the team in possession has to free kick.

Not as strange as it may seem.  Until ~1920, as an alternative to snapping the ball, team A was allowed to "kick forward in scrimmage".  The neutral zone was still only the length of the ball, but the ball still had to go the required distance forward for team A to be allowed to play it.  It was done as a surprise play, the ball being kicked without warning instead of snapped.

So what was the result of the meeting?

I just found out that our organization is going to propose getting rid of kickoffs/returns.  The league meeting is tomorrow night.  I am incredulous and on the verge of an anxiety attack.  Are they kidding me?  Too many injuries and not enough time to coach them during the week.  This is just unreal to me.  I believe it's an important part of the game.  If we keep making new rules, eventually we'll end up with two nets and a round ball.  I'm just livid right now.

Too many injuries?  Where's their data?  Not enough time to coach them?  How much time do you have?

--Dave 

Great idea!  Look at youth football today - do many kick off or squib/onside it?  Most keep it on the ground and away from the best runners.  It has become a game of who can jump on it faster.  I'd rather spend time practicing the offense and defense.  Until I get that 12 year who can kick 50 yards (a few years back) again, I'm not putting it in the air again.

I look at the kickoff as an offensive play. Our opponents must defend our kickoff. We've have Pooch kicked for years. Everyone knows it's coming and we still recover 6 plus KO's a year. I have been coaching youth football for 14 years and really can't remember any KO injuries occurring.