Here’s how the new NFL rules on kicks off and overtime will work

The one -year test version of the Dynamic Kick -off of the NFL led to an increase in the return rate which was not entirely hoped that the League had hoped.

Now, the new form of kick -off that looks more like a scrum game is permanent with a change for 2025 that the League hopes to lead to a significant increase in yields.

The owners voted on Tuesday To move the touchbacks on the kicks from 30 to 35 in the hope that more teams will launch the ball in play instead of giving up an additional 5 meters of position on the field.

The league has also approved changes in the overtime rule, expanded rereading and making some other technical changes during the League meetings in Palm Beach, Florida.

Here is an explanation of some of the new rules that will be in place.

What’s new with the kick -off?

The league was above all satisfied with the experimental kick -off put in place for 2024, which led to the rate of dismissal, going from 21.8% record in 2023 to 32.8% last season, while reducing the rate of injuries on what had been the most dangerous game of the game.

The rule made the kicks more like melee games by placing the coverage players and the blockers near each other to eliminate the high -speed collisions which had contributed to so many injuries on the game. The league said that the brain auction rate had dropped by 43% on yields with a significant reduction as well as injuries in the lower body.

The problem of last season was many teams that have always chosen to launch the ball in the goal area, because the touch is not sufficiently punitive with the average position of the starting ground on a touchdown being only 2.4 further than the average starting position after the yields which was the line of 27.6 yards.

By moving the touch to 35, the league provides that the return rate will increase between 60% and 70% with a similar increase in long yields, adding more excitement to the game.

The league has also approved a small adjustment of how the return team blockers are allowed to line up in the configuration area which could cause longer yields.

How will overtime change?

The League approved a proposal to make extra time in the regular season more such as the playoffs with the two teams having a chance in possession, even if the team that obtained the ball marked a touch.

The NFL added overtime in the regular season in 1974, adding a sudden 15 -minute period of death that ended on any score. In 2010, the rule was modified to a sudden death “modified” which required a touch of possession of opening to immediately finish the match instead of a basket on the field both in the regular season and in playoffs.

Overtime was then shortened for the regular season at only 10 minutes in 2017. A change of rule in 2022 for the playoffs only gave the two teams the possibility of marking even with a touch on the possession of opening.

Now, this will be the case in the playoffs, after improving the position on the field on the kicks won in OT on an easier TD opening possession.

According to Sportradar, six of the 16 games in overtime last season ended on an opening TD for the most extensive matches ended in the first training since the change of rule entered into force in 2010.

In total, the teams that won the print in overtime won 75% of the time last season, according to Sportradar, and have a percentage of victories of 0.606 in overtime since it was reduced to 10 minutes.

The league has kept the period of 10 minutes in overtime instead of withdrawing it at 15 minutes as it was originally proposed by Philadelphia, which could lead the teams that choose to go for 2 and a victory if they correspond to an opening TD with one of their own, because there may not be time for another possession.

Replay assist

The NFL has expanded its re -reading assistance system to overthrow objective calls such as facemask penalties, that there was a forced contact for the head or neck, passes of passes, stumbling if there were “clear and obvious” evidence that a fault did not occur. Rereading would also be able to reverse a muddy or execution penalty if the video showed that the defender was in contact with the ball.

The league has used replay assist in recent years to overthrow obvious errors on aspects such as a pass is captured or where the ball must be spotted without the referee needing to stop the game for an exam.

The Competition Committee indicates that there is no interest in allowing rereading aid to call penalties on games failed by officials on the ground.

Other changes

Some procedural rules have changed. The teams will now be able to make zoom or telephone meetings with free potential agents during the so -called legal falsification period.

The teams can place two players on the injured reserve with the designation to return when the lists are reduced to 53 players rather than after. The eliminatory teams will also receive two additional returns from IR designations.

What’s going on with the TUSH push?

A proposal from Green Bay to prohibit Tash push that Philadelphia has successfully used was tabled until the May meetings. A vote on a proposal aimed at modifying the kick -to -side rule was also delayed until May, as well as a Detroit proposal to change the playoffs to place Joker teams before a winner of the division with a worse record.

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