The kick-off return is moving closer and closer towards extinction.
The NFL owners approved a rule on Tuesday that allows teams receiving a free kick (kick-off or safety kick) to get the ball at their own 25-yard line if the team calls for a fair catch anywhere behind their own 25.
The rule has been put in place for just the 2023 season, and will be revisited next offseason.
The intention behind the new rule stems from player safety with concussion rates on kick-offs will be reduced by 15 per cent, according to NFL executive Jeff Miller.
Kick-offs are considered the most dangerous play in the NFL, as data shows concussions occurs more than twice as often on them than on plays from scrimmages.
While the new rule should help with head injuries, it also takes away an exciting part of the game. Under the new rule, models suggest that the kick-off return rate will decrease from 38 per cent to 31 per cent.
There will almost certainly be a backlash among players and coaches, as the new rule will likely bring about more squib kicks and other unreturnable kicks.
This is the second major rule change made to kick-offs in the last decade with the backdrop of player safety in mind.
In 2016, the NFL moved touchbacks on kick-offs up to the 25-yard line from the 20, with the rationale teams will take the ball five yards closer to their own end zone rather than risk getting tackled behind the 25. And fewer returns would also likely mean fewer injuries.
The rule change, however, has taken the ball out of the hands out of kick-off returners, and decreased the likelihood of an exciting return.
There were only nine kick-off returns for touchdowns last season – the fewest in a non-strike season since the 1970 merger.
Robyn Chin Sang, the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) vice-president with responsibility for artistic swimming, believes the performance of the country's young stars at the recently-concluded Worldwide Invitational Meet augurs well for the continued growth and development of the sport locally.
Chin Sang's pride was very evident, as she reflected on the manner in which a 18-member team from the Island Aquatics Synchro club, displayed their prowess among more illustrious competitors from various countries, in Coral Springs, Florida.
The athletes accompanied by two coaches and one official, secured 25 medals ---15 gold, 4 silver and 6 bronze ---bettering the 10 won by an eight-member team last year.
"The competition was much harder this year, as we had more competitors from different clubs and countries and more advance swimmers. So, it wasn't easy, but our girls did very well in putting the winnings in the bag and embodied the through Jamaican spirit of little but tallawah," Chin Sang said.
She pointed out that attending events like these are vital to the sport's continued development as they introduce younger athletes, in particular, to different levels of competition. However, the fact that the team had to conduct fundraisers to pay their way didn't escape her and she is now optimistic that their performances will assist in getting corporate Jamaica on board with the sport.
Artistic swimming, previously known as synchronised swimming, requires athletes to perform coordinated or identical movements in time to music, with performances lasting several minutes.
"These competitions give the girls the experience and drive to continue in the sport and encourage them to keep working hard to get to the new level that they witnessed on international stage like these.
"So, we are very proud of the way they held their own and ensured the country's flag kept flying high. All 18 athletes returned with at least one medal, all our girls placed in their routines and eight of them placed in figures. In addition to that, they had four awards for placing in top 12 in figures, as well as three best figures titles in three different age categories," Chin Sang shared.
"The success of the team will have a greater impact not only on the athletes but also on the wider Jamaican community. We will have more swimmers being interested in the sport and hopefully more sponsorship will come on board from the corporate companies to help the growth of the sport and its athletes," she added.
On that note, Chin Sang lauded the unwavering efforts of Coach Olga Novokshchenova and her Island Aquatics family for their dedication to assisting the athletes by providing the training and opening up the possibility to take part in global artistic swimming competitions.
"We will continue to train for our next local competition, to take place on a date to be confirmed and then we will go from there. But the aim is always to give off our best for the athletes," she ended.
Richard Gould has forecast a “very long and successful future for The Hundred” despite the impending departure of one of its chief masterminds at the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Even before its inception into the domestic calendar two years ago, the 100-ball competition has polarised opinion while its position at the peak of summer – the third season will take place from August 1-27 – has attracted intense debate.
Reports last month claimed the ECB was open to reviewing The Hundred, which is still only played in the UK, with one alternative being a T20 format of two divisions featuring promotion and relegation.
More scrutiny on its long-term future came on Tuesday as Sanjay Patel, who led The Hundred’s creation and is its managing director, announced he will leave the ECB at the end of the 2023 competition.
After paying tribute to Patel, ECB chief executive Gould said in a statement: “There’s no doubt that The Hundred has been a success, helping cricket reach new audiences, bringing in important revenue and propelling the game forwards.
“It plays an important role in our game and I’m looking forward to a very long and successful future for The Hundred.”
Gould and ECB chair Richard Thompson were prominent critics when The Hundred was first broached during their time at Surrey, but the pair have reversed that stance in their new positions.
Any major changes to The Hundred are unlikely to be introduced in the short-term given the ECB’s broadcast partnership that runs until 2028 with Sky, one of the tournament’s major champions, while the BBC’s free-to-air arrangement covers at least the next two editions.
The increased exposure the women’s game has had in the first couple of seasons is regularly highlighted as an unqualified success while there is evidence that the scheduling, marketing and ticket pricing have helped attract new fans and a broader demographic to cricket grounds.
A report from Worcestershire chair Fanos Hira, a chartered accountant, attaches a £9million loss to the first two seasons but the ECB argues that it turned a profit of £11.8m.
Patel, who first joined the ECB in 2015, said: “I will miss this job and the people immensely but once we’ve completed the third season of The Hundred I believe the time will be right for me to look for a new adventure.”
Everton have activated their option to extend the contract of midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure by 12 months.
It represents quite a turnaround in four months for the Mali international who, in the latter days of Frank Lampard’s reign, was training away from the first-team squad after a disagreement with the then Toffees boss.
Having been brought back into the fold when Sean Dyche was appointed in late January, the 30-year-old has scored four goals – ending a drought dating back to September 2021 – in his last nine games, including two in the crucial 5-1 win at Brighton earlier this month.
“Everton can confirm the club has activated the option to extend Abdoulaye Doucoure’s contract until the end of June 2024,” read a club statement.
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 23.
FootballAllan Saint-Maximin celebrated.
As did Kieran Trippier.
And the whole of Newcastle.
Flashback to when Alan Shearer had some hair.
Patrice Evra voiced his support for Vinicius Junior.
View this post on InstagramCricketJames Anderson had a chuckle at Joe Root’s tweet.
Virat Kohli said RCB should be proud of their efforts this season.
Michael Vaughan was back in Mumbai.
Sir Ian Botham reflected on a great week in Spain.
GolfSergio Garcia celebrated.
Formula OneMcLaren turned the clock back.
Then and now.
Rugby leagueRob Burrow was up for an award.
View this post on InstagramAthleticsGood morning, Usain Bolt.
Sale Sharks have tapped into Sir Alex Ferguson’s revered motivational powers ahead of the Gallagher Premiership final against Saracens.
The former Manchester United manager visited Sale’s Carrington training base on Tuesday, where he addressed the squad.
Ferguson oversaw two Champions League triumphs and 13 Premier League title successes during a remarkable and lengthy spell as United boss.
And the 81-year-old Scot became Sale’s latest keynote contributor after rugby league great Jamie Peacock spoke to the players ahead of their play-off victory over Leicester earlier this month.
Sale have reached their first Premiership final since 2006, when they won the title at Tigers’ expense and were inspired by the likes of Jason Robinson, Charlie Hodgson and Sebastien Chabal.
Saracens now await at Twickenham on Saturday, with the highest-placed teams following the regular Premiership season going head-to-head.
Asked how Ferguson’s visit materialised, Sale rugby director Alex Sanderson joked: “We’ve got a special Man United red phone like the bat phone in the corner of the office for emergencies.
“No, I got a call from Ged (Sale part-owner Ged Mason) asking about it and it fell into place. They are good friends with a shared investment with racehorses.
“We thought we would try and wring a little bit of gold out of Sir Alex – and he didn’t disappoint.
“He had the lads on the edge of their seats and he came up with some real good bits of advice – not new stuff, but when it comes from Sir Alex’s mouth, it is gospel, isn’t it?
“It is small percentages of what you can add, an increased feeling of how special this week is. It was good to have him in and good to have him in our corner.”
Sale centre Manu Tuilagi had already been inspired by Ferguson ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, when he was invited by then England boss Eddie Jones to speak with the squad.
Tuilagi said: “It was amazing seeing him again. We met him in 2019 just before the World Cup. He is a legend of the world.
“He said a few words and gave us some wisdom to take into the weekend. He has been at the top of his game, he knows what he is doing.
“You learn from people like that who have been there and done it.”
And Sale number eight Jono Ross, who plays his final game before retirement on Saturday, added: “Obviously a few of us – including myself – are very much in awe of Sir Alex, but he is a fantastic man and it was really nice just to take little bits and bobs off him.
“It is pretty special when someone of that magnitude walks into the building and as you can expect, the boys were glued to his every word.
“He achieved so much within the game and the way he speaks, you turn your head and listen.
“Sir Alex spoke about a few things that worked for him. He said he definitely remembers the losses more than the wins, so don’t lose, basically!”
Sale captain Ben Curry, meanwhile, was due to undergo surgery on Tuesday after suffering a serious hamstring injury during the play-off game.
“He should be back in time for the start of the World Cup, but that’s being fit,” Sanderson said.
“He would have done all of the prep and none of the lead-in, so it would be wholly on (England head coach) Steve Borthwick’s shoulders to see fit whether or not he is worthy of being included.
“He (Curry) has been very much involved – he’s been getting good luck messages in from Man United players. He has been upbeat, despite the fact he might miss the World Cup and he will miss the (Premiership) final.”
Ross County manager Malky Mackay reminded his players they were still in control of their own destiny despite a late, late blow at Motherwell.
County will be safe from relegation if they win their last two cinch Premiership games, at home to St Johnstone on Wednesday and away to basement rivals Kilmarnock on Sunday.
Mackay was frustrated by VAR decisions after his side saw a penalty award rescinded and then got a handball decision against them following an intervention from Clydesdale House that allowed Kevin Van Veen to net deep into stoppage-time at Fir Park.
County were edging out of the danger zone at the time but now go into the final two games a point behind Killie.
Mackay said: “It’s still in our hands. I said to the players at Motherwell how proud I was of them.
“We could have made better decisions on the ball but there was no quarter given or asked – it was a terrific game of football considering the scoreline right up to the 102nd minute.
“Decisions have happened and my players kept their cool.
“We’ve now got to dust ourselves down because we’ve got St Johnstone in Dingwall which is one that we look forward to.
“The boys are together. They’ve been great. Other than the anomaly of the Hearts game, they’ve been great over the last six weeks.
“Anyone who has seen us – the Celtic game, the win at St Johnstone, the Aberdeen game and how close that was, then beating Livingston and Dundee United and a close game at Motherwell – we have a group that is really at it considering where we are in the league.
“You just hope that a bit of the fortune turns for us. But you can’t rely on luck – you have to go and make your own.”
Kevin van Veen has his sights firmly set on reaching the 30-goal mark and securing seventh place for Motherwell in the cinch Premiership.
The Dutchman took his season tally to 27 by scoring the winner against Ross County on Saturday, finding the net in a ninth consecutive game, a post-war record for Motherwell.
The striker has more milestones in his grasp.
Van Veen will equal a club record set by local hero Hugh Ferguson more than 100 years ago if he scores in his 10th match in row when Motherwell face Livingston on Wednesday night.
The 31-year-old is still in the running for the Premiership top goalscorer, sitting on 23, two behind Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi along with Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland.
The former Scunthorpe striker is also looking to become the first Motherwell player since Dixie Deans to score 30 goals or more in a season, the future Celtic player doing so in 1968-69 when the Steelmen were in the Second Division. The last Motherwell player to do it in a top-flight campaign was Joe McBride five years earlier.
Van Veen has always believed he could challenge that landmark.
“I think it was 19 or 20, and I said to the same media in this room ‘I am going to score another 10 more’,” he said. “Everyone thought ‘this guy is off his head’.
“Now I am three away from what I set and we have two games to go. I am still stuck to my word. I have not reached it yet but I do believe in myself and in the team to get six points from these two games.
“The way we are feeling, 30 is within my reach and six points are in our reach. I am very confident I can hit my personal levels in what I said I was going to do, and the team as well, to get to the top of the bottom six. It is all there for us to take.”
With all the goals Van Veen has been scoring, his celebrations have become more varied. He marked his recent goal against Kilmarnock by pretending to go to sleep and told the wider world his girlfriend was pregnant by putting the ball under his shirt and sucking his thumb against St Johnstone.
“When I score I just do something weird or impulsive,” he said. “It’s not like I have a book with all my celebrations.
“I just do something weird. I am just a weird guy sometimes.
“Like the one (when) I fell asleep against Kilmarnock, I don’t know why I did that. It just came up. I thought, I have got tired of scoring all these goals, I will have a nap. No, that’s a joke. I don’t have any celebrations planned.”
Joao Almeida edged out Geraint Thomas to claim victory on stage 16 of the Giro d’Italia on a summit finish as the Welshman moved back into the Maglia Rosa leader’s jersey.
Following Monday’s rest day, racing resumed over a tough 203-kilometre mountain course from Sabbio Chiese to Monte Bondone.
A group of around 25 riders had made an initial breakaway from the front of the peloton as the course headed on to the category three climb of Passo Bordala.
Jumbo-Visma continued to push at the front of the peloton, with Ineos-Grenadiers’ Pavel Sivakov later dropped on the Matassone ascent where Astana duo Vadim Pronskiy and Christian Scaroni launched an attack.
With around 52km left of stage 16, the front pair were caught by the chasing group, which held a lead of just over four minutes over the peloton approaching the final climb of the day on Monte Bondone.
As the pace was picked up, the breakaway were again reeled in as Almeida and Thomas made their move along with Jumbo-Visma’s Sepp Kuss and Primoz Roglic in the general classification group.
Heading into the last 4.5km, Thomas launched his own attack as he and Almeida dropped their rivals.
It was Portuguese rider Almeida, though, who had the most left in the tank to sprint clear in the final 150 metres to claim victory for UAE Team Emirates and pick up maximum bonus seconds.
Slovenian Roglic finished third, which saw him drop 25 seconds in the GC standings, ahead of Ireland’s Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AIUla), who moved up to fifth overall as a result.
Bruno Armirail (Groupama–FDJ) saw his hopes of retaining the Maglia Rosa fade as he dropped back heading into the final 10km.
Thomas now has an 18-second lead over Almeida, with Roglic third, now 29 seconds off the pace.
However, Ineos Grenadiers confirmed Sivakov had followed Tao Geoghegan Hart and Filippo Ganna in dropping out of the race after failing to shake off the impact of a crash during a wet 11th stage.
“It was a very tough day, a lot of climbs, I am happy with how it went. I found myself in front with Almeida, he was better in the sprint,” said Thomas.
“It would have been nice to win the stage, but I had to keep riding – didn’t want to be caught playing cat and mouse with Joao with Roglic behind.
“It is nice to be back in pink and gain some time, but it’s obviously not great to lose a team-mate (Sivakov).”
Almeida hailed his maiden Giro stage victory as a “dream come true”.
He said: “I was feeling well and the whole team was extraordinary. I try to improve day by day to become the best version of myself.”
Wednesday’s 17th stage will be a flat 195km course from Pergine Valsugana to Caorle.
Steven MacLean has assured relegation-threatened Kilmarnock and Dundee United that there is no chance of St Johnstone taking it easy when they visit Ross County on Wednesday.
Saints can no longer finish in the bottom two of the cinch Premiership but their interim boss knows 10th-placed Killie and 12th-placed United will have a vested interest in how the 11th-placed Staggies get on.
MacLean insists his side have no intention of slackening off in a match that could have a big bearing on how the relegation battle unfolds.
“We’ve got a duty to everybody,” he said. “We want to go there and win for our fans, for ourselves and also for the other teams in the league.
“We’ll be going up there to be positive, like I want to be in every game, and we’ll be trying to win the game.”
MacLean has steered Saints to safety with two wins and a draw in his four games since stepping up to replace Callum Davidson.
“I’m delighted with the players,” he said. “I challenged them to stay up and they’ve done it with two games to spare, which is very good.
“They’ve shown a great attitude and been very good for me. But we’ve still got two games to go and we want to win them both. We’re concentrating on Ross County just now and then we’ll take care of the Livingston game on Sunday.”
MacLean has challenged Cammy Ballantyne to try to establish himself at Saints after the 23-year-old midfielder, who has spent the majority of his senior career with the Perth club out on loan at Montrose, finally made his first start against Kilmarnock on Saturday.
“I was delighted for him,” said MacLean. “I thought his performance was excellent. His energy levels were great and he showed a bit of quality as well.
“If selected against Ross County, hopefully he can back it up. It’s up to him now. We gave him an opportunity to play on Saturday and he took that opportunity well.
“It’s up to him to go and make his mark now and try to make himself a regular in the first team.”
Jack Draper continued his impressive comeback from injury by beating Miomir Kecmanovic to move into the quarter-finals of the Lyon Open.
The world number 53 reeled off four frames in a row to clinch the first set then grabbed the decisive break in the second to secure a 6-4 7-5 win over the Serbian.
Draper, who had eased past Alexandre Muller in the opening round, had missed the recent Masters Series events in Rome and Madrid due to an abdominal injury.
The 21-year-old, who will play Francisco Cerundolo in the last eight, told atptour.com: “I am really happy. I have played two really high-level players and I feel that my game is in a good place, especially after having a few weeks off with injury.”
Barry Robson told his Aberdeen side to “go and grab” third place in the cinch Premiership as they prepare for the visit of St Mirren on Wednesday night.
The 2-1 defeat by Hearts at Tynecastle at the weekend reduced the gap between the third-placed Dons and the Jambos to just two points with two fixtures remaining.
A win over the Buddies coupled with a Hearts failure to beat Rangers at Ibrox would guarantee Aberdeen a third-place finish before they travel to Celtic Park on Saturday.
“The message has been clear to them,” said Robson who will have Graeme Shinnie back from suspension, with Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes and Ross McCrorie back in training.
“I said that today when we were doing our match prep.
“I said ‘this is down to you, this is how you have performed and you have given yourself an unbelievable opportunity when everyone wrote you off and remember that. It’s in your hands now so go and grab it’.”
The defeat at Tynecastle followed a goalless draw at home to Hibernian and a 2-0 defeat by Rangers at Ibrox but Robson stressed the quality of performance.
He said: “Recent performances have been good. Down at Rangers, we were outstanding.
“We could have come away with the victory. Hibs at home, it was a difficult game, Hibs really going at it.
“We had three or four players missing against Hearts down there and the boys stayed in the fight.
“I thought we were really good in the first 20 minutes. So I have been really pleased. Performances have been good.”
Saints put in an impressive performance in the 2-2 draw with champions Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday but Robson is hoping home advantage will count.
He said: “St Mirren have not changed their system all season.
“They played the way they play, they pressed the way they press, they are well-organised and they know exactly what they are doing.
“It’s always a difficult game – no matter if you play them at home or away.
“Obviously we have our weapons that we like to use against them and hopefully we can do that well.
“We have had good preparation for the game and it is a game we are looking forward to.
“We have our fans behind us, Pittodrie has been bouncing for the last two months. It has been so good.
“It is the busiest I have seen it in a long time and the players have really taken the fans with them and the fans have helped the players perform, so hopefully we get that again tomorrow.”
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