Jay Feely: Won't be hard to work around new kickoff rule

Increasing numbers of people have come out against the NFL's new kickoff rule stating it will backfire, including 14-year kicking veteran Jay Feely.

The new rule states the ball will be placed on the 25-yard line as opposed to the 20-yard line, as the rule previously stated, in an effort to reduce the number of kick returns and, in turn, injuries.

Feely said the change will actually result in an increased number of kickoffs because kickers will be able to place the ball between the five-yard line and the goal line without much difficulty.

"It’s just a fallacy that that’s hard for an NFL kicker to do," Feely told PFT Live on Thursday. "It’s not hard for them to adjust the height of the ball, it’s not hard for them to adjust the angle and where they’re kicking it, especially if they know, ‘I don’t have to kick it 10 yards deep, and now I can do a three-step approach and I can adjust my approach like a field goal approach.' That’s not hard for an NFL kicker to do."

The rule has been passed on a one-year trial basis, so if Feely is correct, the league will likely revert back to the old rule for 2017.