Kai Kroeger reacts to rule change regarding hitting punters

Updated guidelines for what constitutes a roughing the punter penalty are among the rule changes set to go into effect in the 2023 college football season. SEC coordinator of officials John McDaid revealed at SEC Media Days this past week that opposing players can no longer be called for roughing the kicker or punter if the kicker/punter is “displaced more than five yards” from where he was when the play began.

South Carolina punter Kai Kroeger, who was also in attendance at SEC Media Days, offered his thoughts on the change and how it will affect player safety.

“This is my first time hearing about it,” he said. “I had no idea that was put into play. The instance we’re talking about between Kentucky and Missouri, it happens once every few seasons maybe. But it’s severe. I remember it happened to a Buffalo punter a few years ago who I knew.

“I think obviously as a punter I’m trying to look at what we can do to make it safer for us because we are defenseless. We do have pads on, but I’m not the same athlete as pretty much everybody on the football field. Even though I try to be sometimes.”

As Kroeger alluded to, the change comes as a result of a play that occurred this past November in a game between Kentucky and Missouri. With just more than two minutes remaining in that game, Wildcats punter Colin Goodfellow lined up to punt the ball away. However, the snap sailed way above his head and down to the 4-yard line as he frantically scrambled to pick it up.

Goodfellow somehow got to the ball and got the punt off but ended up being hit in the process. Missouri was called for roughing the punter, giving Kentucky a first down and effectively allowing them to hold on for a 21-17 victory.

However, under the new rule for roughing the punter, no penalty would have been called and Missouri would take over from where the punt landed. Still, there is the question of whether the rule does enough to protect players in these rare cases. Goodfellow suffered an injury as a result of the play.

“Yeah, I think I definitely have to look more into it to kind of learn more about it,” Kroeger continued. “But as long as there’s still something in play protecting us, then it should be okay, because there are freak instances that happen like that where a punter has to try to make a play because the snap went over his head. I can see where they’re coming from from that point.”

Kroeger was one of the top punter’s in the country this past season, earning unanimous first team All-SEC honors as well as first team All-American honors according to several outlets. He averaged 44.2 yards per punt across his career and is also a perfect 6-for-6 passing with three touchdowns.

As the new roughing the punter rule goes into effect this season, it will be interesting to watch how he and other punters and kickers across the country adapt.