NFL kickoffs will look different in 2024 after the league’s owners approved a new rule to make the routine play more exciting.
Under the new rule, kickers would set up their tee at the 35-yard line. The receiving team could line up at their own 35, while the coverage team would start 5 yards away at the 40-yard line. Other than the kicker, no players on either side could start running until a returner catches the ball.
Kickers would try to make the ball land between the opponent’s goal line and the 20-yard line. If the ball lands in the end zone, the touchback would take the offense to the 30-yard line instead of the 25-yard line.
The new proposal, which would promote more returns in a league plagued by touchbacks, could also increase player safety. The NFL’s competition committee said they want kickoffs to more closely resemble a typical play, without players gaining momentum before a collision. They also said the new rule would “provide excitement and competition in the game.”
Touchback rates soared in 2023, with fewer than 30% of kickoffs resulting in returns. The NFL’s recent changes may aid player safety, but the play has become increasingly uneventful.
“Under the current proposal, we feel like there’s going to be an 80 to 85% return rate,” New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi said on “The Pat McAfee Show” last week. “We’re talking about adding another 1,600 plays to the NFL season.”
The redesigned kickoff elicited quick reactions from fans and players on social media who lauded the change.
“The new kickoff proposal that was passed will keep games exciting for fans and players healthier,” defensive back Michael Thomas, a special teams stalwart, posted on X. “Special teams value will be at a premium with drive starts and field position. Can’t wait to see how it plays out.”
The proposal resembles a model used by the XFL in 2020. In the spring league, the rules encouraged more returns throughout the shortened season.
“I am looking forward to this,” one NFL fan posted on X. “Not only was the old kickoff dangerous, it had become boring with stronger and stronger kickers.”
According to multiple reports, three of the NFL’s 32 teams voted against the proposal: the Green Bay Packers, the Las Vegas Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. The proposal was approved for one year, and it will be reevaluated before the 2025 season.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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