Buccaneers weigh in on NFL’s new kickoff rule

“I love it,” said Tampa Bay Buccaneer first-year special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey.

McGaughey joins the Bucs with 17 years of NFL coaching experience and has spent the last nine years as a special teams coordinator for the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, and New York Jets.

“I think it’s good for the game. It’s not a ceremonial play anymore…I think it’s something that can affect the game in a really positive way,” he said.

So, what’s different? The change deals with where players position themselves before kickoff. The kicking team’s kicker will still kick from the 35-yard line, but instead of being surrounded by his teammates, the rest of the kicking team will line up at the opponent’s 40-yard line.

“I think it’s one of those deals where people are going to be surprised about how impactful the play is. I think it’s going to be big,” McGaughey said

The rule essentially eliminates the running head start as seen during kickoffs, promoting more returns.

“It’s just kind of like a regular football play. That’s what I keep telling our guys. It’s the first play of defense. It’s the first play of offense,” McGaughey said.

“It will be fun to see how this all kind of comes about,” he added.