EVERETT – For a moment, put yourselves in the cleats of a National Indoor Football League cornerback.
Imagine a wide receiver with blazing speed sprinting toward the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped as you stand there virtually flat-footed and unsure where the receiver is going to go.
Sure, the fields in the NIFL are half the size of those in the NFL. And, yes, there are just eight players per side on NIFL fields, compared to the 11 at almost every other level of the game.
The dimensions and number of players may be the most obvious difference to spectators. But, Everett Hawks coach Dan Maciejczak – whose team plays the Wyoming Calvary today at 1:05 p.m. at the Everett Events Center in the first home game in franchise history – said offensive motion is the biggest rule difference between the NIFL and the NFL.
In the NFL, only one offensive player can so much as flinch and no player may be moving toward the line of scrimmage during the snap. In the NIFL, as many as three players may be in a full sprint toward the line. The ball is often snapped just as three receivers reach the line at full speed. That rule in addition to rules that limit defenses is one of the main reasons NIFL games often see the two teams approach 100 combined points.
“Because you can put three people in motion, you’re setting the defense up for a bad situation,” said Maciejczak, whose team won its season opener 55-43 over Billings on March 26. “When the ball is snapped, three of your four receivers are going full speed.”
The motion forces defenders to play well off the line, which creates plenty of room for offenses to work. Smaller receivers have a better chance to succeed, because it is virtually impossible for defenders to jam them at the line as is done in traditional football.
The dimensions of the field – 50 yards long (not including two, 8-yard end zones) and 281/3 yards wide – allows for quick scores. The small field and the fact that it is bordered by walls – or hockey boards at the Events Center – can lead to some vicious hits that can knock players into the seats.
“With the walls, there are lots of big hits,” Maciejczak said, “because there’s nowhere for you to run.”
Kickers also feel the squeeze. Punting is not allowed in the NIFL. NFL goal posts are 181/2 feet apart compared to 10 feet in the NIFL, which is why Hawks’ fans aren’t as likely as Seahawks’ fans to see a game turn into a kickfest. There is also no such thing as a touchback. The kickoff return team must advance the ball out of the end zone. Otherwise, the team that kicked the ball receives a point.
Seahawks fans who might remember the dazed look on quarterback Rick Mirer’s face as he faced an all-out blitz aren’t as likely to see that in the NIFL. Defenses can rush just four players, including three defensive linemen and a linebacker who must raise his hand before the snap and start 5 yards away from the line of scrimmage. Defensive backs can move before the snap, but defensive lineman are not allowed to stunt (exchange positions).
“It’s high scoring.” Maciejczak said. “This game was created for offense and for the fans. The only way you wouldn’t like it is if you’re just a true defensive guy, and you don’t want to see teams give up 30, 40, 50, 60 points.”
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