Last week the USFL kicked of their inaugural season. During the weekend, one thing seemed to stand out like a soar thumb; the kickers were having trouble.
As it turned out, the chip inside of the regulation game ball was causing issues for the kicking specialists and it was reported that they had voiced their concerns.
With one day left until the Michigan Panthers are set to take on the New Jersey Generals, EVP of Football Operations Daryl Johnston has an update on the situation.
Executive VP of Football Operations @DarylJohnston delivers an update on the ball used by Kicking Specialists starting in Week 2. pic.twitter.com/1cIlgqevty
— USFL (@USFL) April 21, 2022
Johnston states that “we’ve made a change our policy this week”, “our specialists came to us with concerns about the sensor technology impacting the kicking balls we were using during the course of the game.”
Going forward, specialists will use their own balls, and the regulation USFL ball with the chip will be reserved for traditional offense.
In the first weekend only 38% of the field goal attempts were successful. With this policy change, we’re expecting to see that number raise dramatically. Additionally, it’s great to see the league respond to the players criticism, going as far as making a rule update so early in the season.
