If teams want to use a 12th man to hold the ball for kickoffs, they can. Without a tee, if they choose. Regardless of whether the wind requires it.
Although Bears special-teams coordinator Richard Hightower recently complained that the Eagles’ use of a 12th man to hold the ball without a tee in order to better position it for a “dirty” kick violates the intent of the rules, the rules clearly allow it.
A league spokesperson has confirmed that teams are free to use a 12th man for that purpose. The kick can happen with or without a tee — and with or without a holder.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni addressed the situation in a Saturday press conference.
“Obviously, with that, everything we’re doing is within the rules of the game, and we’ll continue to do the things that we need to do that give us the best chance to win each and every game,” Sirianni said. “That’s how we’ll proceed as Philadelphia Eagles.”
Hightower has said he hopes the rules change. Which implies that the rules, as written, do indeed allow teams to take advantage of the only circumstance in which it’s permitted to have 12 players on the field.
Unless the rules are changed (and they rarely change during a given season), the message to all teams is clear. If you want to do it, you can. And if it makes it harder for the receiving team to field the ball, so be it.
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