Founded way back in 1958, football has been a prominent sport in Canada for the best part of 60 years. The Canadian Football League is growing in popularity and their close ties with the National Football League helps to gauge interest from North America. Most aspects of the Canadian game are similar to that of the American version but kick-offs are now the one main difference.
Labelled by some as football’s most dangerous play, the NFL have made major changes to kick-off rules ahead of the 2018 campaign – aimed specifically at making the game safer. It will change the game aesthetically forever but nothing is more important than player safety and you cannot knock the NFL for focusing primarily on the health of their superstars.
However, the Canadian Football League have a more relaxed approach regarding kick-offs. BC Lions veteran special teams coach Jeff Reinebold, also known for his work on the NFL in the United Kingdom, believes that there is no real need to change rules north of the border; mainly as the kicking game is an integral part of the Canadian game.
Reinebold makes a few excellent points on the topic. The fact that the American field is 15 yards narrower and 10 yards shorter is one thing but there is a general mindset that sort of undermines the kick-off in the NFL. It has been de-emphasized to a certain extent whilst in Canada, it is still viewed as an integral part of football – and so it should be.
With four main tweaks to the NFL kick-off rules, Canadian sports fans will be keen to tune in and watch the different kick-off style in the coming months. In theory, they should reduce the number of high-speed collisions that occur during kick-offs and that is a positive move for the NFL. CFL bosses will be keeping a close eye on these tweaks ahead of the 2019 season.
Safety is paramount though and the CFL will be monitoring how successful the NFL’s latest rules changes are. 888sport, one of the bookmakers reviewed at Canada’s favourite online slots portal, can keep fans updated on the latest ongoings in the CFL throughout the campaign. Gambling with the health and safety of players isn’t quite the same as playing games; enhancing the reputation of the sport is vital for the long-term future of football north of the border.
What’s the next step? Some reports claim that the NFL could eliminate kick-offs altogether if the latest changes don’t do enough to reduce injuries but that would impact the integrity of
the game – it certainly wouldn’t go down well with Canadian fans. Keeping the general pattern of football is essential; especially when it is such a key part of the sport.
The Canadian Football League will be expected to move on this issue at some point in the near future but traditionalists will be hoping for minor tweaks rather than a full-blown move in the direction of abolishing kick-offs altogether. Watch this space, we could be about to enter a completely new era for football.
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