Vaval and the goal posts.

[theaardvark]

Saw a thing where Vaval was against moving the goal posts back, because he loves the missed FG return play.

It got me to thinking.  So far this year, I've see the new rouge change the punting dramatically.  Punts are going into the EZ, not through.  And the punters seems to be getting really good at it.

So, when the posts get moved back, yes, no "missed FG returns".  But there won't be FG attempts from the 55.  That becomes a punt.  And the punter is going to try to keep it in the EZ and not go through. 

It essentially becomes almost an identical play to a missed FG return.  Except that right now more than 80% of FG's go through the uprights or through the EZ.  There will be a whole new subset of kicks from between the 55 and 40 that will be designed to stay in bounds, returnable.

I will be surprised it the number of punt/FG returns started in the EZ (basically "missed FG retuns") does not INCREASE when the posts move back.

Am I wrong?

[bunker]

The punt cover teams and field goal cover teams are different. When we kick field goals, we have in the past had 7 beefy guys (O linemen mostly but some D linemen) lining up on the line of scrimmage along with the long snapper. The other players are typically LBs (Cadwallander, Ayers, and last year Gauthier), holder Sheehan, and Sergio.
No gunners, and other than the 3 linebackers no one very fleet of foot.  It's possible they might change the configuration slightly for longer field  goals, but the general principle is the same, the punt cover team has faster players.

There's also the issue of hang time.

So missed field goal returns are generally much longer than punt returns. For example, Vaval, Pimpleton and Leake averaged 65,59 and 47 yards on missed field goal returns last year. They all averaged between 12-13 yards on punt returns.

[bomb squad]

Saw a thing where Vaval was against moving the goal posts back, because he loves the missed FG return play.

It got me to thinking.  So far this year, I've see the new rouge change the punting dramatically.  Punts are going into the EZ, not through.  And the punters seems to be getting really good at it.

So, when the posts get moved back, yes, no "missed FG returns".  But there won't be FG attempts from the 55.  That becomes a punt.  And the punter is going to try to keep it in the EZ and not go through. 

It essentially becomes almost an identical play to a missed FG return.  Except that right now more than 80% of FG's go through the uprights or through the EZ.  There will be a whole new subset of kicks from between the 55 and 40 that will be designed to stay in bounds, returnable.

I will be surprised it the number of punt/FG returns started in the EZ (basically "missed FG retuns") does not INCREASE when the posts move back.

Am I wrong?

Well, for sure about one thing. There won't be any punts from the 55 because there won't be a 55.

[Stats Junkie]

Am I wrong?

Yes

[TBURGESS]

Every time a ball goes into the end zone, the returner will decide if it's going to go through the end zone or out the side before touching it. 

Vaval could have let it bounce through the end zone and taken the ball on the 40 (I didn't check where they place it, so this could be the wrong spot).

The only reason to return any ball that goes into the end zone now is if it's obviously not going through. 

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Saw a thing where Vaval was against moving the goal posts back, because he loves the missed FG return play.

It got me to thinking.  So far this year, I've see the new rouge change the punting dramatically.  Punts are going into the EZ, not through.  And the punters seems to be getting really good at it.

So, when the posts get moved back, yes, no "missed FG returns".  But there won't be FG attempts from the 55.  That becomes a punt.  And the punter is going to try to keep it in the EZ and not go through. 

It essentially becomes almost an identical play to a missed FG return.  Except that right now more than 80% of FG's go through the uprights or through the EZ.  There will be a whole new subset of kicks from between the 55 and 40 that will be designed to stay in bounds, returnable.

I will be surprised it the number of punt/FG returns started in the EZ (basically "missed FG retuns") does not INCREASE when the posts move back.

Am I wrong?

You'll probably see a few more punts (and therefore punt returns), a few more 3rd down gambles and a few less field goals attempts since you need to be 15 yards closer than you do now. You'll also see a significant reduction in missed field goal returns.

It's probably the only rule change that gives me pause, the missed field goal return is exciting, but overall I'm fine with it. I never watch an NFL game and think "this is not exciting because field goals can't be returned."

The real world impact is minor.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Every time a ball goes into the end zone, the returner will decide if it's going to go through the end zone or out the side before touching it.

Vaval could have let it bounce through the end zone and taken the ball on the 40 (I didn't check where they place it, so this could be the wrong spot).

The only reason to return any ball that goes into the end zone now is if it's obviously not going through.

Totally depends on the score, chances are a returner is not going to make it to the 40 yd. line so better to concede the point rather than provide his offence with bad field position.

[TBURGESS]

Totally depends on the score, chances are a returner is not going to make it to the 40 yd. line so better to concede the point rather than provide his offence with bad field position.

If the ball goes through the EZ there is no point to concede any more.

[Jesse]

Yes

Simple. Elegant. I concur.

[Jesse]

You'll probably see a few more punts (and therefore punt returns), a few more 3rd down gambles and a few less field goals attempts since you need to be 15 yards closer than you do now. You'll also see a significant reduction in missed field goal returns.

It's probably the only rule change that gives me pause, the missed field goal return is exciting, but overall I'm fine with it. I never watch an NFL game and think "this is not exciting because field goals can't be returned."

The real world impact is minor.

NFL fans are pretty vocal about how much the return game has been taken out of their game in recent years.

It is a very clear and definitive way the CFL is more exciting.

[Blueforlife]

NFL fans are pretty vocal about how much the return game has been taken out of their game in recent years.

It is a very clear and definitive way the CFL is more exciting.

Not called the no fun league for nothing

[Tecno]

I will be surprised if the number of punt/FG returns started in the EZ (basically "missed FG retuns") does not INCREASE when the posts move back.

Am I wrong?

Except we've seen a whack ton of returners taking the knee on short/medium punts this season.  Including some strange ones where I was guessing they'd take it out.  If this season, even without the GP move, has more players taking knees for the rouge, then that might be the way things are going.  It's kind of like the fair catch boring garbage in the NFL, except here you get a point for it.

Moving the GP won't affect that.  In fact it might force even more knee/rouges because the number of short/medium punts will increase drastically because less teams will try FGs, and I doubt all of a sudden our HC's will become drunken 3rd & medium gamblers.

And that "come out to the 40Y" is such a juicy result receiving teams will salivate at the ball rolling through in the best case, to giving up 1 in the worst.

[theaardvark]

Except we've seen a whack ton of returners taking the knee on short/medium punts this season.  Including some strange ones where I was guessing they'd take it out.  If this season, even without the GP move, has more players taking knees for the rouge, then that might be the way things are going.  It's kind of like the fair catch boring garbage in the NFL, except here you get a point for it.

Moving the GP won't affect that.  In fact it might force even more knee/rouges because the number of short/medium punts will increase drastically because less teams will try FGs, and I doubt all of a sudden our HC's will become drunken 3rd & medium gamblers.

And that "come out to the 40Y" is such a juicy result receiving teams will salivate at the ball rolling through in the best case, to giving up 1 in the worst.

Getting to start at the 40 on a rouge seems to me to be the issue.  When the 55 goes away, that makes it even worse.

A rouge should result in a start at the 25 now, or 20 when the 55 goes away.  Give a returned an incentive to bring it out.  We scored 3 rouges in the first game with great punting.  But starting at the 40 is a big incentive to take a knee.

Of the three rouges we scored, first possession after each were TD, Punt, Fumble. 

I get the "more scoring, more better" idea, but there has to be a little more balance on starting spots.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Getting to start at the 40 on a rouge seems to me to be the issue.  When the 55 goes away, that makes it even worse.

A rouge should result in a start at the 25 now, or 20 when the 55 goes away.  Give a returned an incentive to bring it out.  We scored 3 rouges in the first game with great punting.  But starting at the 40 is a big incentive to take a knee.

Of the three rouges we scored, first possession after each were TD, Punt, Fumble. 

I get the "more scoring, more better" idea, but there has to be a little more balance on starting spots.

You're missing the point, Johnston isn't looking to make the game more fair, he wants to create higher scoring games with more TD's, I don't think he cares what the defence has to deal with.

[Stats Junkie]

Saw a thing where Vaval was against moving the goal posts back, because he loves the missed FG return play.

It got me to thinking.  So far this year, I've see the new rouge change the punting dramatically.  Punts are going into the EZ, not through.  And the punters seems to be getting really good at it.

I haven't seen a dramatic change, or even minor change, in punts near the goal line. Perhaps you are just noticing things more this season because you're paying more attention to that aspect of the game.

In 2025, there were 49 punts that went into the end zone and only 5 of them went through the back of the end zone. In the 2026 preseason, 3 punts went through the back of the end zone.

Punters rarely try to kick the ball through the end zone and it has been that way for decades.

So, when the posts get moved back, yes, no "missed FG returns".  But there won't be FG attempts from the 55.  That becomes a punt.  And the punter is going to try to keep it in the EZ and not go through. 

Punters are going to try to keep the ball out of the end zone, same as they have done for decades. Most punters walk off the field shaking their head when a punt goes into the end zone, single or not. It is usually a failed assignment when a punt goes into the end zone.

It essentially becomes almost an identical play to a missed FG return.  Except that right now more than 80% of FG's go through the uprights or through the EZ.  There will be a whole new subset of kicks from between the 55 and 40 that will be designed to stay in bounds, returnable.

Again, punters will not be trying to put the ball into the end zone.

Also, a missed field goal return is quite different from a punt return. Typically a MFG is caught in the air, near the middle of the field, which allows the returner to survey the situation before making a decision and he usually has more of a buffer between himself and the coverage unit.

Punts that go into the end zone typically bounce and are directed towards the sidelines. Of the 49 punts into the end zone in 2025, 6 were caught. Only 8 of the 49 punts were returned with 5 of those 8 punts being caught in the air. The other 3 punts that were returned were fielded at the goal line where the returner may have felt the need to return the ball unsure if the ball was actually in goal.