Josh McDaniel may not be having a banner year in the first year of his second head coaching stint, but the Raiders coach can add "forced the NFL to adjust its rules midseason" to his resume.
For the past several weeks, the Raiders have been using a holder on kickoffs to give Daniel Carlson some extra hang-time, something that is done often in windy conditions when the ball keeps blowing off the tee but is rare in indoor facilities like Allegiant Stadium. The NFL, however, said using a holder outside of those exigent circumstances is now illegal.
According to McDaniels, he cleared it with the NFL when the Raiders first started doing this. The competition committee, however, apparently changed its mind.
“They clarified a rule a couple weeks ago, that you’re permitted to hold the ball on the top of the tee now, so we’ve got a good kicker, you can add hang-time to the kick, and I think you saw Daniel use that to our advantage,” McDaniels said, per Pro Football Talk. “That’s the rules. They clarified it a couple weeks ago. If it helps us gain some type of advantage, we’ll try to do that.”
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Can the Raiders use a holder on kickoffs vs. Steelers?
This is where the NFL may find itself in some trouble with this rule.
Earlier this week, the forecast called for winds of up to 20 mph in Pittsburgh Saturday. The NFL first implemented this ban last week when the Raiders played the Patriots. If the wind does kick up, does the NFL allow a holder in that case?
The short answer is yes, but only if the wind is a legitimate issue. If the ball stays on the tee fine, the Raiders won't be able to use a holder.
Perhaps we'll see McDaniels on his hands and knees trying to blow the ball off the tee from the sidelines. Otherwise, it will be business as usual in Pittsburgh Saturday.
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How did having a holder help on kickoffs?
Basically, the ball wasn't inside of the tee itself with a holder, it was being propped up on the edge. So Carlson was able to get underneath the ball easier than he would if it was resting solely on the tee, allowing him to get some extra hang time.
That's the long and short of it, but the Football Zebras give some excellent insight into why the competition committee reconvened.
This rule will undoubtedly be revisited and revised when the season is over, as they look for a more elegant solution. In the meantime, however, McDaniels and the Raiders will have to make do with a boring old tee for their kickoffs.
