South Carolina coach Will Muschamp thinks college football might start to mirror the kickoff rules in the XFL.
In the XFL, kickers line up on their own 30 yard lines while the rest of the kick team is on the opponent’s 35. The receiving team lines up on the 30 and the kicker is behind them. Once the ball is caught or three seconds have passed, then players can run. It stops players from getting up to full speed before hitting each other, and is much safer than what we see in the XFL and college football currently. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Muschamp thinks college football will eventually go that direction.
“I think the (XFL) kickoff may be where we’re headed. I think it’s an interesting new approach. It keeps the kickoff in the game and eliminates some of the collisions we are worried about,” Muschamp said when discussing the XFL rules, according to Josh Kendall.
Will Muschamp: “I think the (XFL) kickoff may be where we’re headed. I think it’s an interesting new approach. It keeps the kickoff in the game and eliminates some of the collisions we are worried about.” cc: @Andy_Staples
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) February 25, 2020
The kickoff rules in the XFL is one of the best things about the league. It’s safer, it still provides a ton of entertainment and it’s unique.
Kickoffs are one of the most dangerous parts of the game because players are able to get up to full speed and hit each other with serious power.
It’s not that way in the XFL at all. If the NFL and college football are serious about player safety, then they should absolutely considering modeling themselves after the XFL.
It would still be exciting for fans and provide big play potential.
I hope Muschamp’s prediction is correct. I’d love to see it!