Will New NFL Kickoff Rules Improve – Or Hurt – The Game? An Examination.

The NFL recently approved changes for a new kickoff rule to come in place for the 2024 season. Unlike the previous formations with kickoff team players running down the field from where the ball was kicked, they will now only start a few yards away from the returning team’s blocking players. The rule is set to help minimize unnecessary injuries on kickoffs, as well as a way to increase excitement during games.

The proposed rule passed in the Annual League Meeting last week with a 29-3 vote. The Raiders, Packers and 49ers were the only teams to vote against it.

The rule change will only be in place for a year trial, but if successful could become cemented in the NFL rulebook. The framework for the idea came from the XFL, which has been experimenting with new game rules for the past few years.

“I think that it will bring the [kick return] back into a relevant play, an important play and an exciting play. I think we can do it where the injury rate hopefully will drop,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “I think it’s one of those things when you get it in play, you look at things, and we’ll re-evaluate that as the season’s going on. And if it’s appropriate to make changes in the future, we will.”

Under the new kickoff rules, the kicker’s role stays the same: kicking off from the opposing 35-yard line to the receiving team. The rest of the coverage team, however, will now line up at the receiving team’s 40-yard line. The receiving team also has to catch the ball for the coverage team to start their movements.

On the other end, the receiving team’s blockers will now line up at their 35-yard line, only five yards away from the coverage team. The reason for the two sides lining up so close is to reduce the amount of injuries that occur at high speeds during traditional kickoffs. With the new rule, there will be fewer chances of a player having a blindside hit and less overall contact on a play that rarely produces any noticeable gains. For the receiving team, they also have the ability to line up two players to return the ball, each starting at either end of their end zone.

The “landing zone” is another concept that comes into play with the new kickoff rules. A landing zone has been used in NFL kickoffs since 2018, but in the new kickoff style, kickers will need to put the ball between the 20-yard line and the end zone in order for the play to begin. If a kick goes out of bounds, the rest of the coverage team will stay in their positions, but the kicker will have to move back the penalized amount.

“Absolutely in favor of it,” Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said about the rule change. “It gives us a chance to play special teams. What happened last year took a significant amount of plays out of the game and those were from special teams, and you don’t make it up anywhere else.”

Along with an effort to reduce injuries on kickoffs, the new rule change is also set to make kickoffs more exciting with a higher chance of a score or big gain. It will be strange for many NFL fans the first time they see the new kickoff style, but hopefully it can produce more excitement and new strategies for both sides of the ball.