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Among the many rule differences between the CFL and the NFL, one of them is with regards to the options that a CFL team can take after they give up a successful field goal or score a safety. These options present a good topic of discussion with regards to strategies that are only available on the CFL. In both the CFL and the NFL, once Team A allows Team B to score a touchdown, Team B must kickoff. In the NFL, the same procedure is followed if team B scores a field goal. If the field goal is unsuccessful, team A gets the ball at either the spot of the attempt or their own 20-yard line, whichever is farther from their own goal line. And after team A scores two points by forcing team B to give up a safety, team B must take a free kick (often in the form of a punt) at their own 20 yard line to team A.

But in the CFL, there are three options presented to a team A that gives up a successful field goal to team B or scores a safety. The three options team A can take are:

1. Have team B kickoff from their own 35-yard line.

2. Scrimmage from their own 35-yard line.

3. Kickoff to team B from their own 35-yard line.

I have never seen option #3 used before and I don't think any team in their right mind would ever go with that option because it doesn't make any sense at all to give possession of the ball right back to your opponent by kicking off to them. Therefore, the choices usually come down to having the other team kickoff or scrimmaging from your own 35-yard line. It's a good topic for discussion as to which option is better and from what I've come up with, there seems to be much more advantages to scrimmaging from your own 35-yard line. Although it is definitely more conservative, receiving a kickoff carries more risks, as I will explain now.

Advantages to Receiving a Kickoff
The only advantage to receiving a kickoff is if team A has a strong kick returner and team B has a weak kicker and weak kicking coverage, then team A can end up with very good field position and in the best case scenario, scoring a touchdown if the kickoff is brought all the way back.

Advantages to a 35-yard Scrimmage Instead of Receiving a Kickoff

1. If time is of the essence, then choosing a kickoff wastes more time off the clock.

2. If team B has a strong kicker and good kicking coverage, then team A could be pinned deep in their own end of the field - far behind the 35-yard line.

3. During the kickoff return, there is always a chance of a fumble and recovery by the kicking team.

4. A kickoff allows the opponent an opportunity to try for an onside kick and recovering the ball.

5. Even if the kickoff is well returned, there's always a chance of an illegal block or other penalties that could drive the receiving team back. That happened in the dying moments of the 1988 Grey Cup when after Winnipeg conceded a safety, BC elected for a kickoff and although Drawhorn returned it back to the 45-yard line, Tony Cherry got flagged for an undisciplined major foul and that drove the Lions way back.

So the reasons are 5-1 as to why a team would elect to scrimmage from their own 35-yard line rather than receive a kickoff. That said, I do not know exactly what percentage of the time does a CFL team elect to scrimmage rather than receive a kickoff, but I do think it is more than half of the time. Perhaps a fair estimate is 75% of the time a team would elect for the scrimmage. I don't know if that trend has changed much over the years.

In the 2006 Grey Cup, Paul McCallum kicked five field goals with time remaining on the clock (not counting the one with no time left at the end of the first half) and also conceded two safeties. So of the seven times the Alouettes were presented with this option, 3 times they elected to receive a kickoff and 4 times they scrimmaged from their own 35. The one time Montreal kicked a successful field goal, BC elected to scrimmage from their own 35.

In the 2006 WDF, after the five field goals that McCallum made, Saskatchewan only elected to receive a kickoff once. When the Roughriders scored a field goal and conceded a safety, the Lions elected to receive a kickoff both times.

Great post Robbie! Except for situations where time is running out I would have prefered to take the kickoff in the CFL in the past. The opportunity for a huge gain was always worth the reward vs the risk of a penalty or not getting the football out to the 35 yard line. However, this past season, I would have been tempted to take the football more often at the 35 yard line, based upon the new changes in the blocking rules for special teams. I just don't think coaches adjusted their thinking.

However, if we go back to the 'old' blocking rules, that the CFL game so desperately needs, taking the kickoff, especially with room on the roster for today's kick and punt return specialists, makes the most sense, most of the time!

Great post. I think conservative nature would take the ball at the 35.

I would prefer taking the kick off. This would be dependent upon your confidence in your return game However, you would almost be guaranteed to be past the 35 yard line. I would have to say taking the ball at the 35 is only an option when your return game stinks or there is under two minutes to play.

I favor a more aggressive play calling, but that is just me

Was it in the Province or the Sun this weekend, where there was discussion that the league was going to keep the new blocking rules the same? I hope that this was just speculation.

Robbie wrote:In the NFL, the same procedure is followed if team B scores a field goal. If the field goal is unsuccessful, team A gets the ball at either the spot of the attempt or their own 20-yard line, whichever is farther from their own goal line.

As a side note, there is a CFL rule that I didn't know until recently and I'm not sure if many others know regarding missed field goal attempts that go for a single:

If the single point was scored as the result of an unsuccessful field goal attempt the team scored against may elect to scrimmage the ball at any point between the hash marks on its own 35 yard line or at the previous line of scrimmage.

So if the line of scrimmage was at the 42-yard line when team B attempted a field goal that missed and went for a single, then team A can elect to scrimmage from the 42-yard line instead of the 35-yard line. Such plays are not often observed in the CFL because missed field goal attempts from 40+ yards are often brought out of the end zone.

As a defensive coach I had always dreamed of hitting the other teams QB (just hard enough) to side-line him for a series or two. While, on the same play he throws a TD. Then, to show everyone that I am an educated coach, I would choose to send out our Kick-off team. Leaving no prep-time for the backup QB to warm-up and get advice. And so I would expect a couple basic run plays for a quick two-and-out. A decent punt return and our offence has good field position.

Lion King wrote:Was it in the Province or the Sun this weekend, where there was discussion that the league was going to keep the new blocking rules the same? I hope that this was just speculation.

Yes, there was recent discussion about this.

Taken from:
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/football/070214/f021420A.html

The CFL's rules committee is recommending the league change its rules regarding blocking on kicks back to how they were in 2005, when 18 were returned for touchdowns.

Last year, the CFL's board of governors voted to allow players to block only the front area of a defender during kick returns instead of also from the side. The ruling resulted in an abundance of penalties on kick and punt returns and a severe reduction in the number of kick-return touchdowns, which provide some of the most exciting plays in Canadian football.

According to the CFL's stats, just two kicks (one punt, one kickoff) were returned for TDs last year, compared to 18 in 2005 (13 punts, three kickoffs and two missed field goals) under the more liberal blocking rules.

Except for situations where time is running out I would have prefered to take the kickoff in the CFL in the past.

I'm not so sure. If time is of the essence, does that not imply (if you are leading) that you may face an onside kick as well? If you are leading with time running out you take it on the 35 to avoid losing possibly losing possession. If you are trailing then you may consider either option because you may really want the potential field position gain of a strong return or just want to get the ball in your QB's hands right away.

I just reviewed my tape of the 2000 Grey Cup. In that game, both BC and Montreal successfully kicked two field goals. Both times after the Alouettes' field goal, the Lions opted to scrimmage from their own 35. But after the Lions' two field goals, the Alouettes elected to received a kickoff both times. I guess the Alouettes were taking more risks in that game and depending on Winston October for good returns.

The option was a unique aspect of the CFL and personally, I'll miss watching that option. Now with teams forcing to kickoff after a successful field, I anticipate more injuries from kickoff returns. Also, Bret Anderson and his good kickoff skills will be missed as well.