The NFL is still working out the kinks on the new kickoff rule, and on one preseason play on Saturday, the players, coaches and on-field officials all seemed confused.
On the play, the Jaguars were kicking off and the Chiefs had Mecole Hardman and Deneric Prince back to receive. Prince let the ball sail over his head, thinking it was going to be a touchback, but it landed in the end zone and then bounced back out to the 1-yard line. Hardman then ran into the end zone, kneeled down, and scooped up the ball.
The officials initially ruled touchback. Replay then reversed that call and made it a safety because Hardman was the one who brought the ball back into the end zone.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid indicated after the game that he wants a more detailed explanation.
“I think they’re trying to work that out. Normally when a ball goes in the end zone and you touch it there, then it’s a dead ball, but we’ll get it cleared up and see what they come up with,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said the replay review got the call right.
“I’m just glad they went to review,” Pederson said. “The ball landed in the end zone, and now by rule that’s still a live ball. Last year that would have been down — it would have been dead and the ball comes out to the 25 last year. Now the ball is live. So the ball was in the end zone, came out to about the half yard line. The returner was in the end zone but pulled the ball back into the end zone when he took a knee, so safety. That’s the rule. Safety.”
Pederson said his staff understands the rule and immediately told him that the play needed to be reviewed. It happened within the last two minutes of the first half, so the review had to come from the booth and not from Pederson challenging, but he got the officials’ attention and let them know they needed to review it.
“I couldn’t, but let the officials review it. They got together, collaborated on it, obviously went to review, and that was the right ruling,” Pederson said. “I think that’s a good coaching point, for all teams, to coach our returners. . . . It’s really a good teaching moment for everybody, us included, for our returners, and it’s just a great way to learn that rule and to learn the game of football.”
Hardman thinks the NFL still has some work to do to make sure all the rules relating to the new kickoff are figured out.
“It’s a rule they’re going to have to figure out,” Hardman said, via the Kansas City Star. “I’m glad it happened in the preseason. A lot of teams can learn from it.”
With less than a month to go before the start of the regular season, NFL players, coaches and officials are running out of time to figure it out.