NFL moves kickoff to 35-yard line
A. Isaac 
In an effort to curb serious injuries, the NFL and team owners have decided to move kickoffs to the 35-yard line. Oddly enough, these are the same owners who are pushing for an 18-game schedule, presumably because they care so much about player safety.
It all makes so much sense now.
Competition committee chairman Rich McKay said coaches were concerned about an increase in high kicks from the 35 intended to trap returning teams deep and severely decreasing the number of returns. He also said the two-man wedge was not a driving force in the uptick in injuries on kickoffs. Indeed, more injuries occur in coverage than on the return squads.
I’m still perplexed as to why the competition committee is meeting in the first place, you know, because they don’t even have players right now that are contracted to “compete” against each other. As for the rule change itself, I’m a proponent. Having 300 pound men running at speeds of 20+ mph at each other is a recipe for disaster. It’s no surprise that the majority of neck and spine injuries occur on special teams plays. If they can limit the number of kickoff returns by two, three a game, that’s probably a few less players a year hitting the injured reserve. And in the end, that’s what the owners care about the most :(.
Kickoffs moved to 35, touchbacks stay at 20 [AP]
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