Adopt the Schiano Plan--It Would Solve 4 NFL Problems.

The Schiano Plan is simple for football.  If you have not heard of it, let me spell it out for you.  The most dangerous play in football is the kickoff.  It is as much as twice as likely to produce an injury as any other play.  This is why touchbacks were moved to the 25 yard line instead of the 20.  It incentivizes teams to get a touchback and provide a level of safety for players.  It has not worked out that way.

The Schiano plan was devized by former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano after seeing one of his players paralyzed on a kickoff.  It is simple.  Instead of a kickoff, the team will get the ball 4th down and 15 at their own 30 yard line.  The majority of the time, the team will chose to punt.  However, they can fake punt or they can trot their quarterback to the line of scrimmage.  The odds of converting a 4th and 15 on a fake punt or a designed offensive play are minimal, but it is better than an onside kick.  This will solve 4 problems in football.

First, it will reduce injuries.  As the kickoff is the most dangerous play in football, this will have an immediate positive impact on player safety.

Second, it will be more exciting because it will add drama to the play.  The percentage of kickoffs returned for touchdowns in low, less than one quarter of one percent. The percentage of punts returned for touchdowns is about one half on one percent.  Which means that a team is twice a likely to return a punt for a touchdown than they are a kickoff.  About 8% of onside kicks are successful.  Arguably, they are less successful if the opposing team is expecting them.  A fake punt is successful about 1% of the time, but is exciting to watch.  About 12% of 4th and 15 plays result in a conversion.

Third, it adds a level of fairness to sudden-death overtime.  If a team loses the coin toss in overtime, they have a chance to keep the ball anyway.  Image what that would have done for the 2022 Bills vs. Chiefs playoff game.  The Bills, instead of kicking off could have trotted Josh Allen out for a 4th and 15 play to keep the ball out of the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.  Perhaps teams will chose to kick when they win the coin toss more often.  

Forth, it takes away an aspect of Gridiron Football that seems unrelated to the rest of the game.